


Rewritten Destinies

by robinasnyder



Category: Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015), Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Time Travel, F/M, If it's listed under relationships it's going to be a main ship, Luke Skywalker/Wedge Antilles - Freeform, M/M, Mentions of Slavery, Other, The somewhat redemption of Kylo Ren, but Finnrey more than the others, jedi!Finn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-27
Updated: 2017-05-10
Packaged: 2018-09-20 03:56:03
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 74,685
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9474575
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/robinasnyder/pseuds/robinasnyder
Summary: Finn wakes up on Tatooine after escaping from Kylo Ren. He can't get in contact with Rey, Luke or the Resistance, but he trusts the Force to get him home. In the mean time he's befriended a small family and is trying to figure out the best way to get the boy, Anakin Skywalker, back to Luke so he can get training. What Finn doesn't realize is that Kylo Ren woke up on Coruscant and has been petitioning someone else to train Anakin Skywalker.





	1. Chapter 1

Finn woke up on a sand planet. It wasn’t Jakku, which was a blessing. He knew it wasn’t Jakku because he was lying on his back out in the sand and he could see two suns. For all that Jakku was a hell planet of sand and poverty, at least they didn’t have two suns making it horribly hot. This planet, though, apparently had actual mountains, or at least rocky hills. Finn was lying face up in the middle of the desert, but when he turned his head he didn’t see just sand dunes, but also a wide plane which some kind of natural stone outcropping. And it had to be pretty big since Finn could still make it out even though it didn’t seem to be close. 

He sat up, taking inventory. He had on his jacket, the one he got from Poe that Poe had repaired for Finn to take with him when he headed off to Luke Skywalker for training. His lightsaber, well, Luke’s lightsaber was clipped to his belt. He had his small blaster on his other hip. The big blaster lay in the sand nearby. It didn’t look like it was going anywhere so Finn kept taking inventory. 

He had his boot knives and a bag that Finn had packed for… 

“Ugh,” Finn mumbled, rubbing his head. He was sore, tired and probably already dehydrated. He pulled the bag close and looked inside. One change of clothes, two canteens which were wonderfully full, and the new medkit he’d been gifted by General Organa when he left. He also found a couple of rations bars and the one of the half dozen of hand sized rolls Rey had baked and sent off with him when he went on his mission. A small pouch of coins that Luke assured him could be traded on basically any planet. 

He took a swig of water, put the canteen back in his pack and then went digging to find the wide brimmed hat he thought he’d had. It was the only thing he remembered packing that he didn’t have. Anything else he didn’t have he remembered using.

Hadn’t he been in a jungle before this happened? How the hell did he get here? He knew there hadn’t been two suns wherever Luke had dragged him off to. 

Finn sighed. He unclipped his lightsaber from his belt and the blaster. Both went into the bag. He slung that over his shoulder and then grabbed the larger blaster and slung that over his shoulder as well. 

He could see a little further when he was standing. Opposite of the rock outcropping was a city. It was definitely an actual city, not just the dinky trading outpost Rey had lived near on Jakku. 

Finn headed toward the city. It would be easier to find some transport somewhere in the city. And he would be able to figure out where he was. He also didn’t want to run out of water. Water was often the most valuable commodity on desert planets, according to both Rey and Luke who’d both grown up on desert planets. 

Finn knew not to stay still. A long walk didn’t get any shorter when you waited to take it. 

It also gave him time to think. 

He became more awake as he walked. He slowly started to piece his memories together. Luke had left Rey on Ahch-To and taken Finn and Finn’s ship on a mission. Luke said there was a Jedi relic that he kept seeing in his dreams. Rey had an easier time seeing Force Ghosts, which meant if something happened to Finn and Luke that Rey might still be able to learn how to be Jedi. Luke told him privately during the flight that Finn being a weapon’s expert meant they’d probably both make it home safely. 

Finn remembered a jungle, being separated from Luke, Kylo Ren. And a large glowing stone. 

“Shit,” he muttered to himself. Well, he didn’t think that Kylo Ren had gotten him. Luke’s lightsaber was something Kylo Ren had really wanted before. And Finn was pretty certain that Finn would have been dead if Kylo Ren had gotten to him. So maybe the glowing stone did something. 

Was teleportation something the Force could do? 

Well, with all the other things it could do, Finn didn’t see why not. And as such, Finn decided not to worry about Luke. If that stone had been able to send Finn to a desert planet, then it had probably been able to send either Kylo Ren (who had been pretty close to Finn when then stone’s light suddenly got near blinding) or Luke somewhere else. As long as Kylo Ren wasn’t with Luke, it would be okay. Finn knew how to get to Ahch-To as long as he could find transport. He could probably contact Poe and get help. 

Or something. The point as that being part of the Resistance meant there were options.

Finn smiled a little at the thought and pressed on. 

The twin suns were setting when Finn finally made it into the city. Nightlife was starting to turn up. A human woman beckoned him over. The temperature was beginning to drop, so Finn was certain that this woman was looking for someone to sleep with, considering her state of undress. 

“I’m not really interested,” Finn said when he got over to her. Her solicitous smile dimmed. “But I crashed here and I’m not really certain where I am. I’ll pay if you can fill me in,” he offered. 

Her smile grew a little wider. “Come inside then,” she said. 

He followed into what wasn’t exactly a cantina, but also wasn’t exactly a brothel. He let the woman take his hand and lead him back through all the people who were sitting around playing cards or listening to the music. She led him past the bar and into a back hallway where he could hear groaning. Finn was glad it was dark so she couldn’t see him blush. His relationship with Rey was still very new, and all the pornographic holos he’d seen before he’d escaped the First Order had been muted, for the safety of the Stormtroopers. 

The woman led him into a room which almost seemed like a closet with a cot. “What do you have to pay with?” the woman asked. She had bright brown eyes like Rey’s. 

Finn produced a coin from his pocket that he’d taken out and put them here he got into the city. 

She examined the coin for a few moments before she let out a happy gasp. She stuffed the coin into her cleavage. “What do you want to know?” she asked with a wide, toothy smile. 

“Can we sit?” Finn asked. 

“Whatever you want stranger,” she said. She sat and patted the spot on the cot next to him. He quickly wiped off the back of his pants in case there was sand. He saw her smiled soften a little. She was still smiling the same way when he sat.

“Is this a First Order planet?” he asked. 

“I have never heard of them,” she said. “This is Hutt space.” 

Well, that explained a few things. And he was less likely to get turned over to the First order, which was also a plus.

“Okay,” Finn said. “What planet and what city?” 

“Tatooine,” she said. “Mos Espa.” 

“Aw Hell,” Finn muttered. Well, at least Luke would know how to come get him, since Luke had apparently grown up on his backwater death planet. 

“What’s wrong?” the woman asked, cocking her head to one side. 

“My teacher’s from here,” Finn said. He let out a heavy sigh. “Oh well…. Can you tell me the best place to make a call?” 

“Not here,” she said with a little laugh. 

“Yeah, I guessed,” he said. 

“You need to go further into town, but in the morning,” she said. “You paid enough that you can stay here tonight if you like.” 

“I would,” Finn said. “I’m a light sleeper, a soldier.” He hoped she would understand and not try to rob him. 

“Understood,” she said. “I’ll draw you a map in the morning,” she said. 

“Okay,” Finn said. He eyed the too skinny stomach he could see on her. “Have you eaten?” 

He dug in his pack and produced the roll. “My… my lover made these for me,” he said offering it to her. 

The woman gave him an odd look. “Are they full of something?” she asked, sniffing the roll. 

“No. She’s from Jakku,” Finn explained. “And I already ate the other five. She’d be pretty mad if I didn’t give you this one.” 

The woman smiled at him. “I’m Lyra,” she said. She took a bite of the roll and let out a happy noise. Rey had put all kinds of seeds in the dough. It was dense and retained moisture well. They were practically a meal in unto themselves. “Your lover is a good baker.”

“She is,” Finn said with a smile. “She’s been learning anyway. Her first attempts were the worst.” 

“I bet you ate them anyway,” Lyra said with a sly smile. 

“Absolutely,” Finn said with a wide grin. 

Lyra chuckled softly. “You’re a gentle man,” she told him. “Be careful you do not get taken because of that softness.” 

“I’m a fighter,” Finn told her. He was kind. He wasn’t stupid or weak. 

She nodded. “That’s rare. Do you want the cot?” 

“I’ll take the floor if you don’t mind,” Finn said. 

Lyra hesitated. “I’ll get in trouble,” she finally said. 

“Then I’ll take the bed,” Finn said. He pulled off his boots and left them on the floor. He didn’t think Lyra would take them. But he laid down with his blaster strap and bag strap over him. He was a light sleeper and he didn’t trust this stranger. Finn needed his things too much. 

But he didn’t need to worry. He laid his head on the pillow and slept. A number of hours later Lyra shook Finn’s shoulder. 

“Stranger,” she whispered. “It’s time for you to go. The suns will be up soon.” 

“Okay,” Finn mumbled. 

Lyra left him alone. It gave him a moment alone to take a swig of water, stretch and then pull on his shoes. He’d just finished getting on his boots when she returned with a piece of flimsiplast that had something drawn on it. 

“We’re here,” she said. She pointed to a dot on the edge of the drawing. “You want to go here. You go left when you leave here until you get to the cross roads. Turn left. This will take you to the main road. Walk down it until you reach the place with all the stalls. Go right. The closest place to make a call belongs to Watto. Toydarian. Do not bet anything with him. He’s shrewd and smart, but he won’t let you go if you lose.” 

“Got it,” Finn said. He folded up the flimsi. “Thank you Lyra.” 

She nodded. “It’s nothing,” she insisted and then opened the door. She didn’t walk him out, but he was able to walk down the hall on his own. The cantina portion of the building had no one except passed out drunks and one half awake bartender. Finn was able to get out easily. 

The streets outside were just as deserted as the cantina had been. The suns hadn’t really risen yet, there was just barely light enough for Finn to see where he was going. Not all of the lamps were out yet either. He walked lightly down the road, not wanting to disturb the quiet of the early morning. Still, with each step he made more and more people seemed to be waking. 

Most of them looked very tired and very poor. Finn was reminded of his first real mission in the mine. Expect, instead of people who hadn’t seen sunlight in far too long, all of these people looked like they had suffered sun sickness far too often. 

But none of them were less trapped than the miners. The poverty was no less gripping, and Finn still looked like someone who could hurt them. He hadn’t seen much of Mos Espa, but it was a big city, clearly a port city that got a wide range of non-locals. He’d seen a bunch of people who had blasters of some kind, though a lot seemed to be pretty old. 

Finn’s blaster was one he’d stolen off a dead Stormtrooper. Whenever Finn had a chance he tried to find call signs or nicknames. He had a list in his head of those who’d died. He’d known some of the people he’d helped kill. He tried to not dwell on that particular guilt. The blaster he had was from a woman named TS-1532. He didn’t know what else she’d been called. But when Finn had been camouflaging his blaster he made sure to scratch that name into the handle. He ran his thumb over it whenever he made a shot.

The instructions turned out to be reliable. He ducked into a shop whose sign proudly proclaimed it to be Wald’s Parts. It wasn’t warm outside yet. In fact it was still cool the way deserts at night could be. It was even cooler inside the shop, but because of the fairly open nature of the store and the shade most of it was in, Finn felt like that would be a good thing come the afternoon suns. 

“Hello?” Finn called 

“Hello,” a woman said. Finn turned and offered her a smile. She had a tired face, one weathered by sadness. She was dressed for the same kind of poverty on everyone else that Finn had passed that morning. 

“I was told I could make a call out?” Finn asked. 

“Customers are allowed to use the system for free. Unless the call is off world, then you have to pay for that too,” the woman said. 

“Okay,” Finn said. He dug around in his pocket for another coin. He pulled it out and offered it to the woman. “Will this cover the call?” 

The woman allowed Finn to drop the coin in her hand. Finn didn’t really know what the coins were except a sort of white silver and that they didn’t have more that a bare circle design around the edges. But Lyra had accepted the coin the night before with a sort of happy surprise that told Finn they were worth something. 

“Oh my,” the woman said with show. “Mythra,” she breathed out. 

“What?” Finn asked. 

“Is it pure?” she asked. 

“I… I have no idea,” Finn admitted. 

“You don’t know what this is, do you?” she asked in a whisper. 

“Not a clue. A friend told me it could be used as currency,” Finn whispered back. 

The woman glanced around and then stepped closer to Finn. Finn leaned in so she wouldn’t have to speak very loudly. 

“Mythra is a pirate treasure. Like gold, except more valuable because it can be so integral to ship building, and it can be used to patch just about anything. It’s also really hard to come by, especially out here and really costly,” she whispered hurriedly. 

Finn nodded. He felt someone coming. He stepped away from the woman as someone, Finn was assuming the Toydarian as Finn had never seen one before. 

“We have a customer,” the woman said. 

“I can see that Shmi,” the Toydarian said. It reminded Finn a little too much of Phasma when she was giving orders. Instantly Finn didn’t like him. 

“I’m looking for a call off planet,” Finn said. “And to trade.” 

“We aren’t a barter station,” the toydarian almost snarled. 

“Show him what I gave you,” Finn said to the woman, Shmi. 

Shmi held the mythra coin up to the light, where it shown white like the stars.

Watto couldn’t quite take his eyes off it. Finn had to work hard not to smirk. 

“I’ll trade you for any calls I need to make and assorted parts I may need while I’m here,” Finn said. “And no questions asked.” 

“Of course, this way,” Watto said with a big smile. He flew over to the call center at the wall. 

“And if you try to cheat me, I’ll know,” Finn said, running a hand down his blaster. 

“Yes,” Watto said, sounding less happy. “Shmi, show the man how to make a call.” He took the Mythra coin and flew away to the back. 

Shmi smiled at Finn once Watto was gone. “You did well,” she said. 

“I did, didn’t I?” Finn said. He was pleased with himself. He’d gotten better at pretending and lying since General Organa had taught him a few things while he was in recovery. But he didn’t get to practice while he was on Ahch-To.

Shmi didn’t comment. She just showed him how to use the comm system. Finn pushed in the numbers for the ship he’d been given. So far all calls had worked to it, but not from it. When no one answered Finn was disappointed but not exactly surprised. The ship wasn’t great.

Finn tried the Falcon next. Absolutely nothing. 

Now Finn felt a spike of worry, but he shoved it down and tried Poe’s number. Again, nothing.

Each number he tried turned up nothing or something wrong. He got the number of a farmer on a planet Finn had never heard of at one point. That one was supposed to be Leia Organa’s emergency number, and the farmer said the number had been in his family for years. 

Finn hung up an hour later with a massive headache and a million currently unanswerable questions. 

“You seem kind of frustrated,” a young voice said from Finn’s side. Finn looked down and blinked at the kid at his side.

“Yeah, I am,” Finn said. “I’m Finn, what’s your name?” 

“I’m Anakin,” the boy said. 

“You… have we met before?” Finn asked. There was something about the boy that felt desperately familiar and yet not. It reminded Finn a little bit of Luke, but also not. 

“No,” Anakin said. “I don’t think so. But you seem a little like my mom.” 

“Your mom?” Finn asked. Anakin indicated the woman who was still moving around the shop. Now that the kid said it, Finn realized that the woman also seemed familiar. While Finn knew in his brain that he’d never met them, he felt down in his very bones that they were achingly familiar. 

“It’s like…” the kid struggled for a moment to find the words. Finn leaned against the counter near the call system and let him think. “It’s like you feel like us, but don’t too. The glow isn’t right.” 

“I understand,” Finn said. 

“Really?” Anakin asked. 

“I do,” Finn said. “My teacher had said something similar before. Well, he said that I explain things in odd terms.” 

Anakin smiled brightly. “Mom says I don’t explain stuff well, but she still understands me.” 

“The glow. Does everyone have it?” Finn asked. 

“No,” Anakin said. “I’ve seen a lot of people have a little. But my mom has a lot, and so do I, but you’ve got way more than my mom and I thought she was as bright as one of the suns.” 

Finn looked over at Shmi was sweeping the floor. Luke had trained him how to be able to see the Force to some extent. Luke told him that Finn was actually better at it than Luke was. Finn closed his eyes and took a deep breath through his nose. Finn reached for the force and there it was.

Rey asked Finn often what the Force looked like. He had a hard time explaining because the Force did and did not have a brightness. There was and was not a color to it. It was both as tangible as Rey’s mouth and as impossible to touch as the air.

But is blazed around all of them. It blazed around Luke and Rey so beautifully. It blazed around Kylo Ren like a cancer. When Finn looked inward he found not a fire in his being but a deep ocean of warmth and light.

So Finn closed his eyes, found his center and then looked outward. Watto was nearby. He had an anti-shininess, the type that told Finn that trying to touch him with the Force would be noticed and not appreciated. Shmi had the brightness and strength of a large bonfire. 

Anakin though. His was a forest planet on fire. Like Luke and yet not, out of control in the way Luke wasn’t. 

Finn gasped and opened his eyes. 

“Anakin, are you bothering the customer?” Watto demanded. 

“No,” Finn said, rubbed his forehead. “Just a headache. The kid was about to show me parts.” 

“Great, great,” Watto said with false cheer. He eyed Finn too closely, but Finn just stared back. He wasn’t to be questioned on this. Watto did back down and flitted away, but he didn’t look happy. 

“How did you do that?” Anakin asked once Watto was out of earshot. 

“Do what?” Finn asked. 

“See like that?” Anakin asked. “No one else can see the way I can see.” 

Finn smiled a little. “I taught myself a little. And I had someone teach me the rest,” Finn explained. “My teacher tells me I can get better.” 

“Can you teach me?” Anakin asked. 

Finn laughed quietly, not wanting to alert Watto to the conversation they were having. “I thought you said you could see already,” Finn pointed out. 

“Yeah, but it’s not the same way. Can you try?” Anakin asked. “If no one’s answering that means you’d going to stay for a while, right?” 

Finn felt suddenly sad. He looked to the Call system. The Force had done something. Finn was going to believe that the Force had saved him. And he was going to believe that he’d figure out what to do later. But for now he didn’t know. 

“Yeah, it looks like it kid,” Finn said. “So yeah, I don’t see why not.” 

Luke said that while the Emperor had tried very hard to get rid of all the Jedi that he hadn’t been able to get rid of everyone who was force sensitive. Every day, new ones were born. The Force had a will to keep doing what it wanted, even though people all over the universe tried to stop it from happening. 

Apparently the Force had decided that it was going to create people bright with the Force and then hide them away… well, at least Finn guessed that’s what happened to him too. And Rey in a sense. So what if Finn wasn’t a fully trained Jedi? He could still teach the kid what he knew. 

“Where are you staying?” Anakin asked. 

“Uh… nowhere at the moment,” Finn said. He didn’t know how long he’d slept in Lyra’s room. He’d run longer hours on less sleep during his training. But he was tired. He was thirsty. He was hungry. He missed Rey and Luke and he was worried. All of it was very draining. And he didn’t know how he’d gotten here. 

“You could stay with us,” Anakin offered. 

“Yeah, I appreciate that. But I don’t think your mom would like you inviting strangers into your home,” Finn said. 

“I don’t actually mind,” Shmi said. Finn jumped. He had to be more tired than he thought to not have noticed her walk over. 

“I don’t want to impose,” he said. 

“I know,” she said. “But you can stay with us for a night and it not be an imposition.” 

“And Watto will want to keep you around,” Anakin added. 

“Yeah, about him,” Finn said lowering his voice. “Does he…” How did he even ask this question? What could he even ask? He knew how describe what happened to him, what being a Stormtrooper meant. But this was different. 

“He owns us,” Shmi said. 

“No wonder I don’t like him,” Finn muttered. 

Anakin giggled and Finn smiled back at the kid. 

“Watto doesn’t care if you like him so long as you keep paying him,” Shmi said. 

“Yeah,” Finn said. He hesitated for a moment. “I have more coins.” 

“Watto was hoping so,” Shmi said. 

“How many would it cost to buy you?” Finn asked. “Whenever I figure out how to get home, you can come with me. My lover Rey is from Jakku, but we live on a planet with a huge ocean and a lot of rain with our teacher. They’re both really nice. Luke’s from Tatooine originally as well.” 

It excited Finn, the idea of freeing this family. He felt drawn to Anakin and his mother, the way he’d immediately known he could trust Rey and Luke. Luke told him it was the Force and to trust the Force.

“You mean it?” Anakin asked. 

“Yes,” Finn said firmly. 

Shmi had her hands pressed over her face. She looked like she didn’t know if she wanted to cry or be sick. 

“Mom, how much would it cost?” Anakin asked, clearly letting his own fantasies get away from him. 

“He’d ask for a lot,” Shmi whispered. “More than what we’re cost. You have to barter him down or else we’ll never be able to leave this planet.” 

“I only had twenty,” Finn said. “And I’ve already spent two.” 

Shmi made a face. “Try to keep as many as you can,” she told him. She pushed him away from the counter and toward the door. Watto was returning. Finn bet anything she and sensed Watto the same way Finn could.

Finn approached Watto. “Watto,” he said as he approached.

“Yes,” Watto said, drawling out the middle of the word. It made Finn’s skin crawl. 

Finn took the last coin he had in his pocket out and started playing with it. He watched the way Watto’s eyes followed the coin. Finn tried not to smirk.

“I need a couple of workers,” Finn said.

“Ah, you’re looking for the slave exchange,” Watto said, his eyes still on the coin

“Now, how will I know if I can trust what I buy?” Finn asked. Now he did smirk. “No, I need something time tested.” 

Watto’s gaze moved past the coin to where Finn knew Shmi and Anakin were working. “You’re looking to buy.” 

“Yes,” Finn said. “What’s your price?” 

“Fifty of those little coins of yours,” Watto said. 

Finn snorted. “Those pair aren’t worth that much. Two coins,” he said. Watto was testing, trying to see how many he had. 

“Twenty five,” Watto said. 

“Five,” Finn said. He kept playing with the coin. Watto’s eyes seemed to be drawn to it despite himself. 

“Twenty,” Watto said. 

“Seven,” Finn said, sounding bored. 

“Fifteen.” Watto said. “I won’t go any lower. 

“Ten,” Finn said. He yawned. “I don’t have to buy them.” 

“Thirteen,” Watto said quickly. 

“Eleven.” 

“Twelve,” Watto said. “That is my final offer.” 

Finn looked over his shoulder at the small family. He made a huge and obvious sigh. “I suppose that’s not terribly unreasonable. Boy!” he called. 

Anakin jumped to attention instantly. There was a nervousness in his shoulders that Finn hated immediately. 

“Bring me my bag,” Finn said. Anakin rushed to grab the bag off the counter and bring it over to Finn. Finn took it. 

“I want contracts and codes,” Finn said. He’d heard someone say that in a holofilm once. It occurred to him that he didn’t know why General Hux hadn’t put tracking chips in all the Stormtroopers? Did he really think no one would break out of their programing? 

“Yes, yes, right this way,” Watto said.

Finn followed him back. There wasn’t a lot of talking of Finn’s part after that. Until the contracts were signed and Finn got the information on the tracking chips, Finn kept his silence. He paid Watto the twelve coins, including the one that Finn had been playing with earlier. 

“You two,” Watto said to Shmi and Anakin. “This is your owner now. Get out.” 

“Lovely doing business with you,” Finn said sarcastically. He hoisted his bag onto his back and grabbed his blaster. “Come on,” he said to the small family.

They both hurried after Finn as he strode out of the shop. 

“This way,” Shmi muttered, pointing left. Finn cleanly turned to walk the way she indicated. Finn could feel the tension drain out of them the further they got away from the junk shop. Finally even Finn felt like he could breathe again, and he loosened his soldier’s walk to more of a hurried stroll. 

“So, are you really taking us with you?” Anakin asked. 

“Yes,” Finn said. “Do you two really have tracking chips?” he asked. 

“Yeah,” Anakin said with a lot more energy than any child should about what kept them enslaved. “If we try to escape BOOM! We explode.” 

“Okay,” Finn said, shivering even though it was rapidly starting to get hot. “Okay then… well we have to get rid of those.” He spoke quietly. He was lucky that Hux really hadn’t implanted him. Otherwise he’d already have been dead and he’d never have been able to meet Rey.

“We can?” Anakin asked. 

“Watto has to turn that information over to the new owner,” Shmi told her son. 

“He did,” Finn said. “It’s probably going to hurt to have it taken out-”

“But it’ll hurt less than being exploded,” Anakin said. 

“Definitely,” Finn said grimly. 

He allowed Shmi to lead him around. Her home was not exactly close to Watto’s shop. And it was in a very crowded area of town. 

“These are the slave quarters,” Anakin said when they got inside. 

“Wow,” Finn said. It wasn’t a big place, but it was nothing like what he’d imagined. 

“Watto only has to give us enough money to eat as long as we’re out here,” Shmi said. “And not even that much. We’d have to find time to earn money for other things.” 

“Okay, that makes more sense,” Finn said. He carefully set his blaster down and his bag. “The First Order kept us all in these giant barracks. The idea was that we were interchangeable. I guess I thought it would be more like that.” 

“That sounds awful,” Shmi said. 

Finn looked up at her and gave her a weak smile. “It was all I knew. I didn’t even realize it was bad until I escaped… Rey, she had something more like this. She made her own home, but it could be stolen if she couldn’t defend it. And she had to work all day just to make enough to eat at all.” 

“You said she was from Jakku?” Shmi asked. “I can’t say I’ve ever heard of it. But if it’s anything like Tatooine, it’s easier to force us to look after ourselves.” 

Finn nodded. He pulled out the information on Shmi and Anakin. “Let’s see about getting those chips out first and then we’ll talk more later.”

Shmi’s face was set in a grim line. She nodded. She went first. Finn performed the surgery himself. It was a subdermal implant near the base of her skull. Finn had to keep the little comm-like device with their information nearby at all times during the surgery. And he had to program the stupid chip to not go off. It kept trying to reset itself, which Anakin finally had to take over de-activating so Finn could work. 

Finn used a knife to remove the chip. Once it was out he carefully stitched Shmi up. She cried through the whole ordeal, but she didn’t move very much, and only allowed herself to sob for relief after he’d finished stitching her up. 

Anakin held his mother while Finn looked up the information on Anakin’s chip. He didn’t interfere. They spoke in whispered in a language that Finn didn’t know. He didn’t try to follow. He knew it would be worse to do Anakin’s. 

“This one’s deeper,” Finn said. He felt the blood leave his face when he read where the implant was. 

“How much?” Shmi asked. She had Anakin in her lap, cradling his small body against her chest. 

“Near his heart,” Finn said. He took a deep breath. “I have an idea how to get it out, but it’s going to be bloody.” 

“I want it out,” Anakin said. 

“I want it out of you too, buddy,” Finn said. “But I need you to be awake during this. And I need you to stay really still.” 

“What are you going to do?” Shmi asked, her voice barely a whisper. Finn knew she’d gone first to be certain it was safe to do this.

“Use the Force,” Finn said. 

“Are you a Jedi?” Anakin asked, his eyes getting huge. 

“Something like that,” Finn said tiredly. “Let’s get this started. Anakin, I know you can feel things. Once we start I need you to really focus on finding the thing in your body that doesn’t belong and pushing it out. This will be easier if we both do this.” 

“Can I help?” Shmi asked. She still hadn’t let Anakin out of her lap. 

“Keep him still and calm,” Finn said. He knew this had to be done now. The Force was screaming at him that it had to be now or else. Finn wasn’t going to question that. 

Shmi had lay over the table, but they took Anakin to his mother’s bed. Shmi spread rags over the bed to try and keep the blood off the mattress. Anakin allowed them to tie him down and Shmi sat holding Anakin’s head so he could focus on her. 

Finn wished he had more training than this. Stormtroopers learned things like first aid, and Luke told Finn that you could use the Force to heal, but that it wasn’t one of Luke’s abilities and he’d only ever had one student who could heal. And Luke’s masters hadn’t been given to healing. Finn had no real training, just the assurance form the Force that this had to be done. Which meant Finn was unlikely to fail, even if this entire process was a nightmare.

Finn deactivated the chip while he got his first aid kit. He hadn’t used any of the bacta he had for Shmi. Finn knew why now he’d made that choice. They were going to need it for Anakin. 

Finn began with a cut. Anakin made a soft whimper, but stayed very still. 

“Good job,” Finn said. He glanced at the ownership system. The chip was still deactivated. Finn willed it to stay deactivated. He plunged deeper. 

Anakin was a child. He’d suffered a lot, but he was a child. The bonds kept him still and his mother tried to soothe him. But still Anakin was a in a lot of pain. Finn blocked out Anakin’s cries. At least it meant he was still alive. Finn was so glad he had steady hands. 

“Anakin, I need you to push it outward,” Finn said. He could see the chip in his mind, feel it’s wrongness. He wrapped himself around it as much as he could. “You feel that warmth? That’s me. I need you to push it away.” 

Anakin let out a sob. Finn wondered if Anakin had even heard him. But then the chip started to move. Anakin pushing made it move. Finn pulled and Anakin pushed and Finn kept cutting deeper, trying to give the chip an easy channel to get out. 

“There it is,” Finn said, actually seeing the chip with his eyes. He glanced to be certain the chip as still deactivated. It was. He pulled more with the force before grabbing onto it with tweezers. He pulled the chip out and dropped it on the bed. 

Then came stitching Anakin up. Anakin sobbed with every stitch. Finn’s hands remained steady. Then he slathered the wound with Bacta. Finn willed that to heal Anakin. 

“Sleep,” Finn whispered. Anakin passed out. Finn wasn’t certain if he’d actually used a force suggestion or if Anakin was just that tired.

“Go clean up,” Shmi said. 

Finn got up. His legs felt like jelly. He wanted to the bathroom. There was no water and no shower. “Communals, probably,” he mumbled to himself. There was a sonic sink. Finn accepted that and used it to get the blood off his hands. Now his hands were shaking. 

He took a long time in the bathroom. When he finally stumbled out he found Shmi at her kitchen table. Her eyes were red with tears.

“Is he okay?” Finn asked. He carefully lowered himself into a chair. He couldn’t stay standing any longer. 

“I wanted to believe you’d free us. It felt right… And I know to trust my feeling. But-”

“I’m a stranger,” Finn said. “And I carry a huge blaster and I walk like a soldier whose slaughtered people. I know.” 

“You haven’t though,” she said. 

“I’ve killed,” he mumbled. “And I am a soldier.” 

“But you don’t want to be,” she said. 

“It’s safer to pretend,” Finn said. “And I have the training. I’m one of the best the First Order had.” 

“I’ve never heard of the First Order before,” she said. She sounded as tired as Finn felt. 

“I’m not surprised. They’re known where they’re known.” He felt like he could sink to the floor and pass out. He also felt like he would never sleep again.

“You saved us both,” Shmi said. 

“Yeah,” Finn said weakly. “Look, about his son. He wasn’t exactly wrong about the Jedi thing. My Teacher is a Jedi, but I’ve only been training with him for a little while. But I know he could teach your son a lot. Especially with how strong your son is.” 

Shmi nodded. She didn’t seem completely with it either. Finn felt like she might not even be hearing him. 

“We should sleep,” Shmi said. 

“You got a patch off floor for me?” Finn asked. 

“You can have Ani’s bed tonight,” Shmi said. 

Finn felt like he should argue, but he didn’t have it in him to do so. Instead he followed her to where Anakin’s bed was. Finn stripped out of his outwear and crawled into bed. He didn’t worry about if he should worry about his things or not. He knew deep in his bones that he was safe there with these people. And he would protect them with everything he had. No matter what happened.


	2. Chapter 2

Finn woke up before the sun was up, or anyone else in the house. He got up and found the bathroom again. He cleaned up as best he could. He pulled on his change of clothes and began to poke around the kitchen to see if he knew how to make anything they had. 

“I didn’t think you’d be up already,” Shmi said. 

Finn turned and gave her a soft smile. “Yeah. I’m used to waking up early.” 

“You said something last night… this First Order, did they own you?” she asked. 

“Yes,” Finn said. “They own a lot of people. They took us when we were kids and molded us to be the perfect soldiers.” 

“And you escaped,” she said. 

“They captured someone, one of the people I was supposed to think of as an enemy. I helped Poe escape, because I realized I didn’t want to kill for them… but sometimes I wonder… I love my new home. My friends. I have people who love me. But I kill Stormtroopers now. The people I was raised with… I wonder what kind of prison I traded myself into sometimes. Even though I know I’m on the right sids now… I just.” He stopped and shrugged. 

“You’re a kind soul,” Shmi said. “You shouldn’t have to kill. But because you have to, I would trust a kind man to do it more than a cruel man. You wouldn’t do it unless you had to.” 

Finn let out a breath. He hoped she was right. He wanted her to be right. “I traded most of the money I had to Watto. We can’t stay here too long or we’re going to run out of money.” 

“I know,” Shmi said. “Do you know how to get to Ahch-To from here?” she asked. 

“Luke does. If only I could get in contact with him,” Finn said. He finally allowed some of the frustration from the previous day to bleed in. “Someone should have picked up. I don’t know what happened yesterday.” 

“Mr. Finn!” Anakin chirped. He came running out and over to Finn. He threw his arms around Finn’s middle immediately. 

“Hey,” Finn said a little sharply. “Be careful, you don’t want to reopen your injury.” 

“It know,” Anakin said. He raised his shirt. “But look, it’s almost healed.” 

“Force,” Finn breathed. He knelt down and looked at the wound. It had knit together already. “You can heal.” 

“I can?” Anakin said. “I thought the stuff you put it on it did this.” 

“The Bacta I have isn’t new. I thought I’d be treating you for days and you’d be trapped in bed… You did this,” Finn said, touching the scar. 

“I did?” Anakin asked, cocking his head to one side. 

“The Force did,” Finn said. 

“Did you really mean it, that you’re a Jedi?” Anakin asked. 

“I’m still in training. My Teacher, Luke Skywalker, when I get you to him, he’ll be able to teach you,” Finn explained. 

“Skywalker?” Shmi asked. 

“That’s our name,” Anakin said. “It’s a slave name.”

“Oh,” Finn said. “Well, I didn’t know that. But Luke said he’s from Tattooine, so I guess it makes sense.” 

“So he got free, like we did?” Anakin asked. 

“I don’t know, but you can ask him when you meet him,” Finn said. Then he smiled. “I didn’t have a last name before. I was like you, owned. When I escaped my friend Poe named me Finn. Before that I was FN-2817. And then Luke said I could be a Skywalker if I wanted to.” 

“So you’re Finn Skywalker?” Anakin asked. He smiled brightly. “That makes you family then.” 

Finn’s stomach flipped over. He felt pressure in his eyes, tears that wanted to fall. He’d never, ever been part of a family before. Luke accepting him had meant a lot. But that was just to make Finn feel better. Anakin was offering him something else. 

“If you don’t mind me being your family,” Finn said, his voice rough with the emotion he was trying to hold back. 

“You freed us,” Shmi said. “Finn Skywalker, you are our family.” 

Finn turned and looked at Shmi. He couldn’t stop his tears then. “Thank you,” he whispered.

He felt Anakin’s small arms wrap around him again. Finn hugged Anakin back. Anakin was stronger than he appeared, but he was also lighter than he really should be. Finn stood up, picking Anakin up and holding him close. Anakin laughed and Finn thought it sounded like sunshine. 

“Please be careful inside the house,” Shmi said, and Finn got the idea that she was more worried about Anakin doing something than Finn. 

“We won’t break anything, I promise,” Anakin said. He put his arms around Finn’s neck, feeling unbothered. Finn wasn’t exactly used to being trusted so easily. He had a handful of people who trusted him completely. But his fellow Stormtroopers had ever really trusted him, and there were enough people in the Resistance who were still worried about him. But then, Anakin could probably see what Finn could see. The Force had put them together for a reason. Luke said that happened sometimes. 

“You know, we should probably start thinking about what you all want to bring with you,” Finn said. “Since we won’t be staying here all that long.” 

“Can I bring my droid with me?” Anakin asked. 

“You have a droid?” Finn asked. 

“I’m building one,” Anakin said. “I have a lot of the pieces but they’re not completely all together yet.” 

“Sure,” Finn said. “My friend Poe has a droid, BB-8, and R2D2 stays with us on Ahch-To. Luke’s great with droids. Rey too. I’m sure one of them can help you make yours work.” 

“Wizard,” Anakin chirped. He started to wiggle a bit, so Finn set Anakin down. Anakin ran off to his room. 

“You really are taking us away from here then,” Shmi said. “I meant to ask, I understood that Jedi started to train children young.” 

“I think that’s how it was. But Luke isn’t that picky. Plus, Rey and I are all he has right now,” Finn said. “But he’s going to love Anakin. Rey’s going to love him too. She doesn’t appreciate that I dislike desert planets so much.” 

Shmi laughed. It was a soft, almost musical sound. He realized how happy she was. 

“I think I have some bacta left. Can I put some on your neck?” Finn offered. 

“I would like that,” Shmi said. 

“Be right back,” Finn said. He went to his pack and grabbed the bacta. He applied a little to a bandage and returned to Shmi. He helped her apply it to her neck. He knew it wouldn’t heal as fast as Anakin’s wound, but this way they didn’t have to worry about infection for either of them. 

“Thank you, Finn,” Shmi said. “For everything.” 

Finn just offered her a smile. “It’s what you do for family.” 

Shmi laughed again and wrapped her arms around Finn’s neck, giving him a tight hug. Finn laughed too. This felt like acceptance, and that was such a beautiful feeling.

* * *

They sold one of Finn’s remaining mythra coins to one of Watto’s competitors. They exchanged it only for usable currency, which mostly went to buying food for a few days while they figured out the best way to get off Tatooine. Finn made a couple more trips to Watto’s, but only because he didn’t have to pay to keep calling off world there. Still Finn wasn’t able to find anyone he knew. The farmer was very nice to talk to, though. He was at least sympathetic about Finn calling again to be really certain the number he’d punched in was correct. He was even more sympathetic the third time Finn called, just to be really certain. 

Anakin didn’t follow Finn to Watto’s, but he did follow him basically everywhere else. There was a lot Anakin didn’t know, but there was also a lot he did know. He could fill Finn in on whatever was going on in the city. And he could talk at length about pod races and the racer he’d built. He helped Finn take the racer out and sell it, which got them a contact with someone who could get them to the Unknown Region, where Ahch-To lied, but he couldn’t get them to Ahch-To.

Finn and Shmi talked about how much it would cost to buy a ship. It wasn’t impossible, it would just make it damn near impossible to actually make it out to Ahch-To, since they’d be able to afford a ship and some bare provisions, but Ahch-To wasn’t close to Tatooine. And the money that they got from selling the pod racer and the mythra coin wouldn’t work outside of Hutt Space. Also, they probably wouldn’t be able to afford fuel. 

Finn did his best not to get discouraged. He spent a lot of time with Anakin, and that meant Finn was certain Anakin had to be trained, even if Finn wasn’t certain how to accomplish that. Instead, he spent their time at Shmi’s home trying to teach Anakin something. Mostly it was just meditation. Finn needed to practice and it gave Shmi time to make dinner without Anakin being underfoot. And Anakin would know something when they got to Luke.

Finn had been on Tatooine a little over a week when he started to get an odd feeling. He didn’t register it as particularly good or bad. It was just coming. And it was getting stronger all the time. 

“Maybe it’s a sandstorm,” Anakin said. “I get a buzzing feeling when a sandstorm is coming.” 

“I don’t know what it is,” Finn said. He almost hoped it was a sandstorm. “We should stay inside today, though.” 

“Yeah, mom, we need to stay in,” Anakin said with a bit of exuberance. 

“What’s going on?” Shmi asked, coming in from her bedroom. 

“Finn feels something,” Anakin said. 

“Is it a sandstorm?” Shmi asked, going to look outside and see. 

“I don’t think so,” Finn said. “But I feel like we need to stay here.” 

“Okay,” Shmi said. He was glad that Shmi didn’t question when he had a feeling like this. He didn’t question when she had a similar feeling. Anakin’s feelings were stronger and more accurate than both Finn and Shmi. They all understood, and they listened to those feelings. 

None of them got too close to the doors or windows that day. The weather made no indication of any kind of storm, sand or otherwise. There was no wind at all that day. But still, the buzzing in Finn’s bones just got worse. 

By the time the suns were beginning to set, Finn was having a hard time staying still. 

“Do you want to meditate?” Anakin asked. He was looking worried. Whatever it was, neither Anakin nor Shmi were feeling it.

Finn knew he should probably say yes, but he also knew he wouldn’t be able to do it. He shook his head no. Instead he got up and went to his bag. He pulled out the lightsaber. He generally grabbed for the blasters first, but he didn’t even think about it. 

He heard the soft ringing noise that came when someone was at the front door. Finn thought about telling Shmi not to answer, but he kept his mouth shut. Instead he crept quietly out of the room. He saw Anakin and made a motion for Anakin to keep silent. Anakin moved silently to Finn’s side. 

Shmi was already answering the door. 

“Is this the Skywalker residence?” A very familiar voice asked. Finn would know Kylo Ren’s voice anywhere. It haunted his dreams. 

Finn tapped Anakin’s shoulder and pointed Anakin to the bedrooms. Anakin ducked into his mother’s room. Finn couldn’t get Shmi out, but at least Anakin would be hidden. The blasters wouldn’t have worked against Ren anyway. The house was small, but Finn knew it and Ren didn’t. 

Finn crept closer, careful to stay out of view. He closed his eyes and reached for the Force. Shmi’s shine was there, whole and alive. And Ren’s. He knew that dark glow, like banked coals after a terrible fire. And a third. Powerful. Finn opened his eyes. Someone that Finn didn’t know was with Ren. Finn was out numbered. 

“Yes,” Shmi said. “One of them. Can I help you with something, gentlemen?” 

“We’re looking for a boy,” Kylo Ren said quickly. “Anakin Skywalker. We were told he lived here.” 

Shit. He was here for Anakin? 

Finn stepped out from his hiding space. He ignited his lightsaber, glaring at the two men. Ren didn’t have his helmet on, but Finn had known that from the lack of vocal distortion. He was wearing civilian clothes too. The other man, a total stranger, wore a poncho. Finn had no idea what kinds of weapons he had under there. 

“Shmi, hide,” Finn said, striding forward. Shmi moved behind him as fast as she could. “You don’t get to have him, Ren.” 

“You traitor,” Ren hissed. He reached for his lightsaber, but the other man placed his hand over Ren’s. 

“Patience,” the man said. He had a soft kind of accent, one that Finn couldn’t place. “We mean you no harm.” 

“Liar,” Finn said with cold certainty. “If that were true, you wouldn’t be here with him.” He glanced at Ren. Ren looked furious, but the other man was still holding him back.

“Easy,” the stranger said, like he was trying to soothe a savage animal. That set Finn’s teeth on edge. “My name is Qui-Gon Jinn,” the stranger said. “And we haven’t come to harm anyone. Now, where did you get that?” 

“Luke Skywalker,” Finn said. He held his ground more firmly. Everyone had at least heard of Luke Skywalker, or should have. Shmi and Anakin had clearly had a lot of information withheld for them. But this man was bright in the Force. He should know. Instead, he just looked confused. 

Ren was scowling though. “He doesn’t know who Luke is because Luke Skywalker wasn’t been born yet,” he snapped. 

“That doesn’t make any sense,” Finn snapped back. He didn’t know Kylo Ren to speak in riddles, but that didn’t matter since he seemed to be now. 

“That stone, on Andvor,” Kylo Ren said. “It sent us both places.” 

“Yes, clearly Tatooine is not a jungle planet,” Finn said, tightening his grip on his lightsaber.

“It didn’t just send us to a new place, it sent us to a different time,” Kylo Ren said. He wasn’t reaching for his lightsaber anymore. “Luke Skywalker doesn’t exist yet. Neither does the Empire.” 

Finn blinked. He still kept the lightsaber up. Anakin and Shmi were too important to let his guard down. “Why are you here?” 

“Anakin Skywalker is my grandfather,” Kylo Ren said.

Finn felt like the planet shifted sideways. Something in the Force purred in his chest, assuring him of the reality of Ren’s words. Finn turned off his lightsaber. 

“Excuse me?” the stranger, Qui-Gon Jinn asked. 

“It’s not like the Council would have believed me if I told them the truth,” Ren said. “They barely believed me when I told them about him being the Chosen one.” 

“He’s what?” Shmi asked. 

Finn turned and looked back at her. He thought she would have gone to run and hide. But then, she wouldn’t have wanted either of the strangers at her door to see where Anakin was hiding. Finn focused back in on Ren and Qui-Gon Jinn, but of whom were giving each other unhappy looks. 

“Who is this?” Finn asked, indicating Qui-Gon Jinn. 

“You know the name Obi-Wan Kenobi?” Kylo Ren asked, a certain wariness in his eyes. Finn knew why too. Ben Solo was Obi-Wan Kenobi’s namesake. But he was a number of other things as well, all of them important and dangerous to Kylo Ren. 

“Yes,” Finn said, keeping his tone flat. 

“This is his Master, the man who taught him what he knew,” Kylo Ren introduced. 

And then it all clicked in his mind. “Luke mentioned his name before, in passing.” 

Qui-Gon Jinn frowned firmly. “Kylo Ren made a request to rescue a child from Tatooine. He said he had a vision and was willing to surrender himself to the Jedi Council if we would allow it.” 

“Well, that’s a little impossible at the moment,” Finn said. He still kept himself between Shmi and his enemies. “Are you really a Jedi?” 

He knew what darkness felt like. This man didn’t feel like darkness, but it wasn’t like Luke or Rey, or even Anakin and Shmi. It was like he was both reaching ever outwards and yet keeping everything tightly contained and controlled. Finn almost wished he had time to study what he could feel. But he still didn’t trust this man who had aligned himself with Kylo Ren for any reason.

“I am,” Qui-Gon Jinn said calmly. “Why is it impossible?” 

“Finn already bought and freed us,” Shmi said near Finn’s side. She laid a hand on Finn’s shoulder. “It’s okay.” 

That made Finn relax instantly. “You’re certain?” he asked, turning away from the other men. He was already decided even without her assurance. If she felt like it was fine, then it would be okay. 

“Yes,” she said. Finn relaxed completely. He hooked his lightsaber back on his belt. “Why don’t you two come?” Shmi offered. She moved around Kylo Ren and Qui-Gon Jinn and closed the door. “I believe we have things to discuss which should not belong to the open air. Finn, will you get Anakin?” 

“Yes, Shmi,” Finn said. He went to the bedrooms. He felt for Anakin and found him under his mother’s bed. 

“Can I come out?” Anakin asked, but he was already starting to wiggle out even without Finn having to say anything. “What happened?” 

“My… an enemy from the First Order showed up. But came with a Jedi, which I would have said were impossible if I didn’t see it with my own eyes. And the Jedi said Ren turned himself over for a chance to help you.” 

Finn opened his arms and Anakin climbed right into them. Finn stood up, holding Anakin against his chest. It might look silly, but Finn wanted Anakin to be safe. And it felt like he was safer when Finn was holding him. Finn knew that was stupid because it was better if Finn had his hands free. But it still felt safer to keep Anakin close. 

“You think he’s telling the truth?” Anakin asked. 

“Yes,” Finn said with a huff of annoyance and frustration. It was easier to hate Ren when he was just a murderous psychopath. His mother was going to be so happy to hear that Ren cared about someone anyway. 

“But why me?” Anakin asked. 

“Probably because of how you feel in the Force,” Finn said. “Big and bright.” 

“Do you like me only because of how I feel in the Force?” Anakin asked, pushing his face into Finn’s shoulder. 

“I like you because you’re Anakin,” Finn said. “And because we’re family.” He could feel Anakin smiling into his shoulder. 

“Okay,” Anakin mumbled. 

Finn carried Anakin out to the kitchen. Ren’s eyes were on him instantly. They burned bright with ever present anger. But there was also a clear amazement, and to Finn’s surprise, actual jealousy. Finn had to keep himself from grinning. He wasn’t used to being in a position for anyone to feel jealous of him.

Finn settled Anakin in a chair away from Kylo Ren and Qui-Gon Jinn. Then Finn sat where he was between them and Anakin. He kept hold of Anakin’s hand under the table. Anakin was squeezing his hand hard. 

“Shmi was telling us you removed the tracking chips?” Jinn asked. 

“Yes,” Finn said. 

“That would take a lot of skill,” Jinn said, sipping from the cup he’d been given.

“Stormtroopers are given standard first aid,” Finn said. “More than standard.” 

“Stormtroopers?” Jinn asked. He really didn’t know. That just confirmed to Finn that some part of Ren’s story was true.

“Soldiers,” Ren said like it was that simple. 

“Slaves,” Finn said, a bite in his voice. “Stolen from birth and raised to believe only in the First Order and killing.” Jinn looked troubled, but Ren scoffed. Finn barely, just barely kept his temper. He didn’t want to become anger incarnate like Kylo Ren. And he didn’t want to expose Anakin to that much negative energy in such close quarters. 

“And the First Order is?” Jinn pressed. 

“None of your business,” Ren said firmly. “It doesn’t exist yet.” 

Finn started to laugh. He couldn’t help himself. He knew it was partly hysteria. No Rey, no Luke, no General Organa or Poe. But also no Hux, no Phasma, no people Finn had been raised with that Finn had to shoot to protect his cause. It was a painful and terrifying relief. 

“It’s okay, Finn,” Anakin said quietly. He squeezed Finn’s hand a little harder. Finn wasn’t certain when Anakin decided he was Finn and not Mr. Finn, but Finn really appreciated it in that moment. He put his arm around Anakin’s shoulders and gave him a hug. 

“I know,” Finn said. “Force stuff. I’m sorry I can’t introduce you to Rey or Luke. They would love you, I promise.” 

He could see Ren bristling, clearly wanting to speak and withholding. Was Anakin really Ren’s grandfather? It didn’t seem impossible exactly. More that Finn had a hard time believing anyone as sweet and full of love as Anakin could produce anyone as cold and cruel as Kylo Ren. 

“So, we aren’t going to Ahch-To?” Anakin asked. Finn winced. Kylo Ren did not need to know where Luke was living, even if it wasn’t likely on any map that Ren had. 

“Where-” Ren started. 

“No,” Finn said. “It was the people that made it good. I wouldn’t want to live there without them. Like I wouldn’t want to stay here without you and your mom.”

He glanced back up at Ren, but his eyes caught Jinn’s expression, which was actually a smile.

“I take it you’re a padawan?” Jinn asked. 

“A what?” Finn asked. He looked to Ren, who shrugged, equally confused by the word. 

“A Jedi in training,” Jinn said. He frowned deeply. “Is your master not affiliated with the temple?” 

“There is no temple,” Ren said. “There are empty ruins. That’s it. And Luke wouldn’t step one foot in there. Neither would I.” 

“Why?” Jinn asked. 

“The Jedi Purge,” Finn said. He hugged Anakin close, tighter. If Ren was Anakin’s grandson, that meant that Anakin survived. And Obi-Wan trained Luke. Some survived, but not many. The temple would reek of death and pain. It would have to be bad if even Ren didn’t wanted to get anywhere near it. 

“That can’t be,” Jinn said. “There are thousands of Jedi-”

“Not where we’re from,” Finn said. “It’s just Luke… and Rey and me. And the only other people I know of who have the Force are General Organa and, well, him.” He indicated Ren. 

Jinn took a deep breath. Finn wondered if Jinn was trying to process everything. He only seemed to breathe in silence for a moment before he let seemed to set it aside. 

“We have to tell the Council,” Jinn said. 

“Like they’ll listen,” Ren scoffed. 

“If it’s the end of the Jedi-”

“In my experience,” Ren said a little louder. He was keeping his temper, but only barely. “People would rather ignore the truth when it’s hard to accept. Especially people self-assured in their strength and intelligence. 

From the look on Jinn’s face, that was his experience too. 

“Then we’ll just have to convince them,” Finn said. “They didn’t have you and me before, right?”

“Well, no-” Ren started. 

“If the Force sent us here then that means we’re here for a reason,” Finn continued. “Whatever is supposed to happen, the Force must not like it. It’s not like the Universe is well off where we’re from anyway.” 

Ren tipped his head in acknowledgement. “The traitor has a point. Things have already changed. This is not the way my Grandfather was found before. It’s sooner.” 

“Then perhaps there is a chance,” Jinn said. 

Finn looked down at Anakin. “Ani… do you want to be a Jedi?” 

Anakin peered up at Finn. He seemed to think for a minute. “I’m supposed to be a Jedi. I can feel it. I dream about it a lot. I know I’m supposed to.” 

“But do you want to?” Finn asked. 

“Do you want to, Finn?” Shmi asked. 

Finn made a face. “Rey wants to. Luke wants me to… I just want to help people. The First Order is evil, but they trained us to make use of what we had and were good at. I’m good with the Force. I can use it to help people. And with it I can support Rey and Poe and the Resistance.” 

“But do you want to?” Anakin asked. 

“In a war it doesn’t matter what you want,” Finn said. “Just what has to be done.” 

Shmi made an unhappy face. She knew what he meant. This would be war eventually. And Anakin would probably be in the middle of it, just like all the Jedi would be. Just like Finn would be. 

“I want to be a Jedi,” Anakin said. 

“Then I guess we’re going with you,” Finn said, looking at Ren and Jinn. “But I promise you if you do anything to hurt Anakin or Shmi I’ll take your insides out.” 

Ren smirked. “Is that what the light side says?” 

“That’s what Stormtroopers say,” Finn said.

* * *

They slept one more night at Shmi’s. Finn packed his bags and helped Anakin and Shmi pack theirs. They still had a money left over, little good it would do them once they were out of Hutt Space. But it didn’t matter because there was a ship for them outside of Mos Espa. It would get them off Tatooine. And they would be together. 

Finn slept in Shmi’s room with both Anakin and Shmi. They took the bed, Finn slept sitting up near the door with his hand on his lightsaber. It was a soldier’s instincts and training. These two he had to protect if nothing else. He didn’t have anyone else but himself at the moment. Some part of him knew he would search forever for a way to go home to Rey. But right now something was being asked of him that only he could do. And if he did it right it might save all of them a lot of heartache and pain in the future.

Come morning, the five of them ate a sober breakfast. Everyone carried out bags of some kind, except for Ren who had Anakin’s droid in something like a wheelbarrow. 

“I didn’t think you’d care about a droid,” Finn said when they were away from the slave quarters. 

“This will one day be C3PO,” Ren said. 

“How did you know that’s what I was going to name him?” Anakin asked. He was holding hands with both Finn and his mother.

“Really? That stuffy old droid?” Finn asked. He couldn’t help but laugh. 

“He’s going to be a good droid,” Anakin pouted. 

“C3PO has survived three wars so far,” Ren said with a little smile on his face. “With only minimum limb replacement. He even helped raise me.” 

“No way,” Anakin said. “That’s awesome.” 

“Always trust your droids,” Ren said. He put his shoulder into the push and walked ahead, going to walk with Jinn, who’d been leading their little group. 

Anakin asked questions as they walked. He asked about Luke a lot. Finn wasn’t certain if Anakin really believed that Kylo Ren was his grandson from the future. The entire thing sounded insane. If Finn didn’t have confirmation from the Force, he’d never have believed it.

“So, is Luke his father?” Shmi asked as they walked toward the edge of the city.

“No, that would be General Leia Organa,” Finn said. He grinned. “She’s amazing. When I first ran away from the First Order she accepted me instantly. She said a lot of the pilots and soldiers in the Rebellion had been defectors. A lot of the people around my age don’t know what to do with me. Poe aside. But she just accepted and believed in me instantly. She trusted me with a huge mission almost instantly. And she’s brilliant too. She rebuilt Democracy with her own two hands after she helped to break the Empire.” 

“Wow,” Anakin’s eyes got huge. “She sounds amazing. I want to be like her.” 

Finn laughed. “I do too. She’s just as strong as Luke is, but she decided that the Universe needed a strong political leader more than they needed her to run off and train with Luke. So Luke tried to rebuild the Jedi to stop the Sith from coming back. And She tried to rebuild the Universe so the Sith wouldn’t have a foothold to rebuild in.” 

“Then how come he’s like that?” Anakin asked. 

“I’m not Sith!” Ren called back. 

Finn bit his bottom lip to keep from laughing. Ren sounded like a pouty child. 

They kept their voices down after that. Finn told both Shmi and Anakin all of the amazing things that Poe had told him about Leia, and all of the kind and wonderful things Luke had done for him and Rey. It filled the time was they left Mos Espa. The ship was well outside of the city. Eventually Finn picked Anakin up and carried him part of the way. Anakin wasn’t light, per say, but Finn was used to carrying heavy loads as a Stormtrooper, and Finn kept up that training as best as he could, just in case. 

He just never realized that in case would be carrying around a tired eight year old boy.

Finn was able to set Anakin down when they finally got sight of the ship. Finn and Shmi both had to hold Anakin’s hands to keep him from running off to check out the ship. The ramp lowered about the time they arrived at the ship. Ren rolled the droid right up the ramp, but Jinn waited for them to catch up. 

Finn held on a little tighter to Anakin. He could feel Anakin’s excitement to run onto the ship. He wasn’t going to let the kid go until Finn was certain it was safe. He closed his eyes as he walked onto the ship, allowing the Force to guild him so he wouldn’t trip like an idiot. When he opened his eyes his vision had partially adjusted to the darker insides of the ship already.

Once Jinn was onboard the ramp closed. A young man maybe a little older than Finn and a little younger than Ren came out from the cockpit.

“Master, this is more people than just one boy,” the man said. There was something familiar about this man. Something comforting and yet not quite right. Finn figured it out in a flash. 

“Are you Obi-Wan Kenobi?” Finn asked. 

The young man tipped his head. His haircut was really strange, with the fuzzy almost-Stormtrooper regulation cut, a very long braid and a long tail. Who let their hair grow like that? 

“I am,” the man said. His accent made so much more sense. Finn grinned. 

“It’s really great to meet you, Sir,” Finn said. 

“Sir, really?” Ren scoffed. “If you’re going to be that pathetic, shouldn’t you at least go full force and call him ‘Master Kenobi’?” 

“For your information,” Finn said, feeling a certain level of triumph because he knew Ren didn’t know the truth. “I am as excited to meet Rey’s grandfather as you are to meet your own.” 

Ren’s smug expression quickly turned to shock and then something akin to horror. Jinn looked like he wanted to bury his face in his hands and never come out again. 

“I’ve missed something,” Obi-Wan Kenobi said.

“Sithhells, they ever sound alike,” Ren said. He proceeded to turn on his heel and head toward the cockpit. “We’re taking off in five minutes!” He called. 

“You couldn’t have mentioned this before?” Jinn asked. 

“I probably shouldn’t have said,” Finn admitted a little embarrassed. He let go of Anakin’s hand. He set down his bag and blaster. “But Ren’s so self-absorbed I couldn’t help myself. He should have figured that out on his own.” 

“This is not a way we allow even initiates to act,” Jinn said. He was annoyed, but Finn was massively impressed by his control. He was pretty certain that Jinn was actually trying to teach him something. 

“I’m not sorry,” Finn said stubbornly. “I’ve got a scar on my back where Kylo Ren tried to cut me in half. I can’t like him. He’s tried to kill me and the people I love too much. The only reason we aren’t trying to kill each other is the understood agreement that this needs to be done. But that doesn’t mean that I’m going to be nice just because that’s easier for everyone around me.” 

“You shouldn’t allow your anger to cloud your judgement,” Obi-Wan Kenobi said. Finn turned a glare on him. The young man’s impassive face didn’t change, but he also backed off. 

“Luke says anger has its place as long as it doesn’t interfere with what’s important. I’m angry because Ren betrayed his family, who’s now like my family. And because he tried to hurt Rey. And he did torture Poe and a lot of other people. And he’s killed other Stormtroopers just because he was angry. I can understand when we die in battle because soldiers die. But to be killed because someone can’t control his temper? I can’t stand that. I’m working with him. That has to be enough.” 

Finn met Jinn’s gaze. Jinn regarded him for a moment before he tipped his head. “If your anger gets out of control-”

“You have my permission to knock me up the side of the head so I won’t hurt anyone, Master Jinn,” Finn said. 

“Finn,” Anakin said. 

Finn looked down at Anakin. He bent over and scooped Anakin up. Anakin wrapped his arms tight around Finn’s neck and hugged him tight. Finn hugged him back. Anakin was a grounding influence. In another life, Anakin would have been like Finn. He would have been a child soldier, doing what he was told by a cruel master. Finn had broken out of that programming. Maybe it was the Force. Maybe it was the sheer force of Finn’s personality. Whatever it was, Finn doubted that even Anakin, as bright of a star as we was, would have managed it. Finn wasn’t certain that anyone on that ship would have broken out of it. 

Finn never wanted that to happen to anyone ever again. Anakin had his own problems to sort out. Being owned twisted your perception of the world around you. Finn worried how Anakin would adapt to the outside world. But Anakin wouldn’t have to do it alone. Finn had Poe and Rey and Luke. And Anakin had him. Him and Shmi and other good people who they had yet to meet. 

“I’m sorry, Finn,” Anakin whispered. Guilt rolled off Anakin in waves. 

“Ani, you can’t control people,” Finn said. “Ren made his own choice. His own parents were awesome people, but they made mistakes too. And then Ren decided to do what he did. Don’t blame yourself for him… if I blamed myself for every one of my brothers and sisters in the Stormtroopers when they killed people in the Resistance I would lose my mind. The best you can do is work on you. You be kind to the people around you, and you fight your enemies with the power of a nova.” 

“Spoken like a Jedi,” Jinn said. “Obi-Wan, this is Finn.” 

“Finn Skywalker,” Anakin piped up. 

“Finn Skywalker,” Jinn corrected. 

“And Shmi and Anakin Skywalker,” Shmi introduced. She stepped closer to Finn and ran her hand through Anakin’s hair. Finn felt Anakin calm almost completely. 

“Anakin is who Kylo Ren asked us to rescue,” Jinn explained. “He wasn’t aware that Finn had already freed them.” 

“The Council will be happy,” Obi-Wan Kenobi said. “They didn’t like us buying slaves.” 

“Then they shouldn’t fuss about us bringing Finn Skywalker to train at the temple as well. He’s been separated from his Master and needs to continue to train,” Jinn said. 

“Really?” Finn asked. A chance to train with more Jedi who weren’t Luke? Maybe when Finn got back he’d be able to teach Luke some things they’d be able to pass on. 

“Yes,” Jinn said. 

“Master-” Obi-Wan Kenobi started. Jinn laid his hand on the younger man’s shoulder, silencing him. 

“I promise to explain, but for now I would prefer if Kylo Ren isn’t our pilot. He makes some terrifying maneuvers.” 

“Yes, Master,” Obi-Wan Kenobi said. He headed off to the cockpit. Finn grinned. Luke and Rey were going to be so excited when he told them. 

“You need to be more careful about what piece of information you let slip,” Jinn cautioned. He hesitated for a moment, but then asked his question. “Obi-Wan has a granddaughter?” 

“Rey,” Finn said. “She’s amazing, I promise. Obi-Wan Kenobi even sounds like her.” 

Jinn looked thoughtful and then nodded. “You all should rest.” He indicated the padded benches around the walls. Shmi went ahead and lowered herself down on one. Finn quickly followed suit. Anakin wiggled out of Finn’s lap into his mother’s. Finn stroked Anakin’s hair. Jinn gave them one more look before he headed to the cockpit as well. 

“We’re both going to be Jedi,” Anakin said. 

“Looks like it,” Finn said. He smiled down at the floor. He could feel the ship start to shake as it took off. There was something so soothing about that kind of shaking. He closed his eyes. It had been a long week. 

Shmi leaned against Finn. Finn leaned back. Anakin snuggled across them both. Finn kept himself awake until he was certain his little family was asleep. Then he allowed himself sleep. Rey’s grandfather wouldn’t let them get hurt. They were safe.


	3. Chapter 3

/ _What do we do about them, Master?_ / Obi-Wan asked. They’d been able to switch to the autopilot for a while. Kylo Ren was monitoring the flight, which allowed Obi-Wan and his master to slip away from the cockpit. The Skywalker family was asleep on the ships low benches. The ship wasn’t really made for a lot of people. At least one person needed to monitor the autopilot on a vessel this old. The benches were long enough that both Kylo Ren and Qui-Gon Jinn could lay on them without their feet of heads hanging over. Though the benches weren’t really wide enough for any of them.

When it had just been a boy, these arrangements hadn’t seemed so unreasonable, even if they weren’t comfortable. Now two other full grown adults were added into the space of the small vessel. Even though Shmi and Finn Skywalker weren’t much taller than Obi-Wan, they still took up more space than their son. 

/ _We take them to the temple and train them,_ / his master responded. 

/ _All of them, Master?_ / Obi-Wan couldn’t conceal his surprise.

/ _Obi-Wan, we have much to discuss. It seems our not-Sith friend was not as forth coming as it first appeared._ / 

Obi-Wan snorted outwardly. There was no surprise there. Kylo Ren had arrived into their lives two months earlier and brought with him a whirlwind of chaos. He spent every waking moment insisting that while he utilized the Dark Side and had a wildly unstable and very sithlike lightsaber, that he was in fact not Sith. And when he wasn’t doing that he was constantly insisting that there was a boy on Tatooine who needed to be rescued as quickly as possible. 

Honestly, Obi-Wan was certain the Council had agreed only to shut the non-Sith up for a little while. Master Qui-Gon had been the one to return Kylo Ren’s lightsaber to him. Obi-Wan knew the Council was going to be furious that his master did such a thing, even though it seemed that Kylo Ren hadn’t so much as used it.

Maybe Finn Skywalker could convince the Council to be rid of the not-Sith, especially if it was true that Skywalker had been nearly killed by Kylo Ren before. And if Skywalker really was training to be a Jedi as well. 

/ _I should hope I do not have to say I told you so._ / Obi-Wan responded, which he knew wouldn’t be well received, but he wasn’t even happy that the Council had agreed to this. It had seemed like a bad idea to send only two Jedi off with Kylo Ren, even if he wasn’t Sith.

/ _It seems the Force is moving things. Both Finn Skywalker and Kylo Ren have confirmed that they come from the future._ / Master Qui-Gon’s voice thrummed through his mind. Obi-Wan immediately wanted to ask if this was some terribly unfunny joke his Master had concocted so he could call Obi-Wan a fool. But that didn’t seem like his Master. 

/ _Skywalker said I had a granddaughter. But that’s impossible._ / Obi-Wan insisted. 

/ _It’s not. From what I gathered, you will one day teach a man named Luke Skywalker, who will in turn teach Finn Skywalker and a woman named Rey._ / Master Qui-Gon sounded far too calm. 

Obi-Wan’s gaze landed on the sleeping family. / _That doesn’t make any sense, Master. Time travel is impossible._ /

/ _Not if the Force wills it so._ / Damn. There was amusement coloring that particular communication. Obi-Wan didn’t scowl like the boy he felt like his Master was treating him as. But it was a near thing. 

/ _Why would a future not-Sith be so insistent on us training a force sensitive child?_ / 

/ _He insists that Anakin is his grandfather, and the father of Luke Skywalker and powerful military General known as Leia Organa._ /

Well, at least that made some slight sense. 

/ _I still don’t understand._ / Obi-Wan responded. 

/ _According to both of them, the Jedi are purged from the galaxy._ / Those words shook Obi-Wan to his core, but still Master Qui-Gon pressed on. / _I have gathered that you and Anakin survive it. But I do not. Finn Skywalker, Luke Skywalker and your granddaughter as the only Jedi in existence in the entire universe they come from. And both Finn Skywalker and Kylo Ren believe this can be changed._ /

/ _How bad must it be that even someone who uses the Dark Side still wants to stop it?_ / Obi-Wan tried desperately to shove down his fear or release it to the Force. Through their connection, Obi-Wan could feel that his Master was also struggling with the same problem, though as always Master Qui-Gon had more control. Obi-Wan felt like he was free falling. The end of the Jedi? Everyone they knew or would know dead? It was too horrible to think of. 

/ _I have been asking myself the same question. Which is why we need to train as many people as we can. We don’t know where the balance will tip. You will begin working with Finn Skywalker. He is a Padawan in all but name. But he is clearly behind on his training._ /

Master Qui-Gon could not have another Padawan until Obi-Wan finished his trials. But that didn’t mean that they couldn’t teach the small family anyway. And if Obi-Wan knew his lessons well enough then he should be able to teach them. No doubt Master Qui-Gon would work with Shmi and Anakin to begin with. They had days of travel before they would arrive in Coruscant.

Master Qui-Gon settled onto his knees and Obi-Wan did the same. They needed to be centered to deal with the future, especially if they were attempting to change a future that had not yet happened. Obi-Wan needed to release his fear if he wanted to teach Finn Skywalker.

* * *

Finn woke up laying across the padded benches. He could feel Anakin and Shmi nearby, but he didn’t see them. He allowed his senses out a little more. They were with Jinn and Ren in the cockpit. And Rey- no. It wasn’t Rey. Rey wasn’t here and it would be a long time before he could return to her. No, it was her grandfather. Kenobi sat across from him on the floor, reading something off a datapad. 

“Are you hungry?” Kenobi asked. He sounded a lot like Rey, but masculine. 

“Yeah,” Finn said. He sat up and stretched. His back felt stiff, but he’d slept in worst places, so he kept his complaints to himself. 

“Here,” Kenobi offered. He got up and offered Finn a ration bar and a water pack. Finn accepted both. 

“Thank you,” Finn said. He tore into the ration bar and started to eat. It tasted better than what he was used to as a Stormtrooper in the cafeteria. But then, it was generally thought amongst Troopers that ration bars tasted better to give them something to look forward to when they were out on missions. He was pretty certain that ration bars were supposed to be tasteless.

Kenobi sat down next to him. His face looked as impassive before. It was a little odd, because Finn could see the resemblance between Kenobi and Rey, but he had a hard time thinking of Rey as anything but expressive unless they were practicing. Luke too, for that matter. Finn grinned. Well, now he knew where Luke and Ren got that energy and passion. 

“May I ask you questions?” Kenobi asked. 

“Yeah, ask whatever you want,” Finn said. He needed to not trust this stranger so much. But he felt like Rey so much. 

“Will you tell me about her?” Kenobi asked. “My uh… granddaughter?” Well, that got a smile out of Kenobi. Finn grinned right back. 

“I know it sounds odd,” Finn said. “But Rey is amazing. She’s the best friend I’ve ever had. She’s an amazing pilot. She’s funny. She’s beautiful. I’ve never seen anyone work like she does when you get her going on machines. I mean she’d get along with Anakin great. And she meshes with Luke really well too. Because he’s a pilot too. But then when she fights. Oh man. The first time I met her some guys were attacking her and BB-8 and I rushed over to help, but she didn’t even need it. She’s just amazing.” 

Finn couldn’t help his sappy grin. Rey was the best. And that didn’t count all of the things he wasn’t saying because it would be wildly inappropriate to tell Rey’s grandfather about the way she kissed and the way she felt when he was sheathed inside her. Kenobi didn’t need to know the way her body looked in the moonlight, or about the times they’d go to the beach and swim naked just for the joy of it. About the private swimming lessons Finn gave her and how Finn would always value the memories of the taste of salt water on her lips when they got caught up kissing in the middle of the ocean.

“You’re close then?” Kenobi asked. 

“She’s my, well I don’t think girlfriend describes it. And Lover isn’t enough either. She’s just like everything. Except better because I know she feels the same way about me.” He couldn’t stop the sappy grin on his face. He turned to look at Kenobi and found the man was frowning deeply. Finn’s smile dropped. 

Did Kenobi not like Finn dating his granddaughter? Finn felt resentment welling up. Kenobi didn’t even know Rey. He was dead long before she was born and he parents had abandoned her to a cruel owner and never returned. Finn loved her completely. This man didn’t get to judge that. 

“Jedi aren’t supposed to have attachments,” Kenobi said. 

Finn stared at Kenobi for a moment, thinking he was joking. Then he realized he wasn’t. “Who’s dumbass idea was that.” 

“Shhh,” Kenobi quieted. “It wasn’t mine… are you two really together?” he was speaking in a near whisper. 

“Yes,” Finn said, his tone stubborn. 

Kenobi glanced toward the cockpit. “And your Master has no problem with this?” 

“Luke would be a lot happier if he’d just call his husband and make up with him,” Finn said pointedly. “But he’s only ever been happy for me and Rey. He told us that we needed to be careful to not let fear make us do stupid things when one of us is in danger. But that love saves people.” 

Kenobi looked thoughtful. He turned away from Finn and looked across the small ship at the adjacent wall. A silence stretched between them for a long time. Finn wondered what Kenobi was thinking, but he didn’t interrupt the other man’s thoughts. He let Kenobi have his time, and while he waited he finished off his ration bar and his water pack. Then he sat back and just allowed the silence to continue stretching on. 

“I like that idea,” Kenobi admitted finally. 

“Because it’s a good idea,” Finn said. 

“It’s against our code,” Kenobi said, still speaking quietly. 

“Well, it didn’t exactly survive… Jinn told you, right?” 

“Master Jinn,” Kenobi corrected. There was something in the way Kenobi correction that tickled Finn’s mind and his sense. He was more upset than Finn ever would have been about someone not calling Luke the right name. There was clearly a structure that Finn wasn’t used to. But he also felt like there was something else. Also, Kenobi wasn’t continuing until Finn corrected himself, apparently. 

“Master Jinn,” Finn said. 

“Yes, he told me,” Kenobi said. 

“Yeah, so, I love Rey,” Finn said. “And she loves me. And there’s no one to stop us or tell us it’s wrong to love each other.” 

Kenobi looked away, and it sort of connected in Finn’s brain. 

“You like someone,” Finn said quietly. 

Kenobi made a face. “Yes,” he said quietly. 

“You’re jealous,” Finn said. 

“Quite,” Kenobi added. “I… if I ever acted on the relationship I wanted, if it was meant to be, then your lover wouldn’t exist,” he added. He just looked very sad. Finn felt sad too. 

“I see,” Finn mumbled. 

“Yes,” Kenobi said. “Master Qui-Gon told me I should help train you. I believe he thinks since we’re close in age that we’ll have an easier time.” 

“I don’t mind,” Finn said. “And I’d rather Anakin get attention from someone who’s used to teaching.” 

“I feel like I should be insulted,” Kenobi said. Finn was about to apologize when he realized Kenobi had a little smile on his face. 

Finn grinned. “Call me Finn,” he said, offering Kenobi his hand to shake. Kenobi shook his hand. He had rough hands from work and training. Finn knew how that felt, since his hands, Rey’s and Luke were all rough. 

“You can call me Obi-Wan,” Kenobi said. 

“It’s nice to meet you Obi-Wan. So, what are we going to learn?” 

“I was thinking of seeing what you know already,” Obi-Wan said. 

“Well, I’m still getting used to meditating. I mean, the First Order, the people who owned me before I escaped. They raised me to be a soldier. And they taught us something like meditation, but we were supposed to think about our lessons and how we fought and our loyalty to the First Order. And it’s hard to break that. It’s easier to do it with someone else who’s strong in thee Force,” Finn explained. 

“How so?” Obi-Wan asked. He looked curious, but Finn was pretty certain he was just assessing Finn’s skills. 

“Because it’s hard to miss when I’m next to someone who shines like that,” Finn explained. “It reminds me what I’m supposed to be doing. And it’s more welcoming. It’s hard to meditate alone, but it was easier even with Anakin who’d never heard about meditation until I started showing him what to do… although to be honest I’d probably still be okay if I’d been meditating alone, since Shmi and Anakin shine so brightly.” 

“You can see them?” Obi-Wan asked. 

“I close my eyes to make the distractions go away. And then yeah, I can see it,” Finn said. 

“What do you see?” Now Obi-Wan’s questions weren’t just assessing. He was actively curious. 

Finn found himself blushing. “I’ve only started training a little under six months ago. I don’t know all the terms yet.” 

“That’s fine. Will you tell me how you’d describe what you see?” Obi-Wan asked. 

“Okay,” Finn said. It was different with Rey who had only a little more training than Finn and even with Luke who had less than traditional training. But Obi-Wan did have traditional training. Finn hoped Obi-Wan wouldn’t tell Finn he was wrong to think and see as he did. Finn didn’t know how else to think about the Force. And it felt right to think the way he did. 

“Please,” Obi-Wan asked. 

“Okay… so, well. Like I said, it’s different with each person. Luke always seems to burn like a forest fire to me. Which makes sense that Anakin is his grandfather, because Anakin is an entire forest planet on fire. And it never goes out. It’s really amazing.” Finn knew he was smiling. 

Obi-Wan looked fascinated. “How do others look?” 

“Well, Shm is like a bonfire. Strong and going, but contained as well, though a lot of potential. Kylo Ren is like the embers of a city burned to the ground. That doesn’t make him less powerful, but there’s so much desolation, and the embers can pick up on the wind and cause more damage,” Finn explained. 

“What about me?” Obi-Wan asked. 

“Like a sun,” Finn said. “But not one that’s close. The way the sun warms a planet. You’re the way the sun feels on the planet itself. Which is kind of like Rey. Her’s is like the twin suns of Tatooine.” 

Obi-Wan opened his mouth and made a noise, clearly an accident. Obi-Wan cleared his throat and tried again. “And Master Qui-Gon?” 

“Yeah… I wanted to ask him, because it’s not an image exactly. But it’s amazing. He’s reaching out and touching everything, and yet he’s contained. I wish I knew how to do that. I’ve never seen anything like it in my life.” 

“He’s special,” Obi-Wan admitted. “He practices something called the Living Force. Not a lot of us are as strong in that respect as he is.” 

“So what do you do?” Finn asked. 

“The Unifying Force,” Obi-Wan said. 

“And those mean what exactly?” 

Obi-Wan sighed. “Well, the Living Force is the concept that the Force is in everything and all things and that it will tell us what needs to be done in the moment.” 

“Sounds right to me,” Finn said. “What’s the other one.” 

“The Unifying Force believes that there is a connection between all the stars, and that we connect to the Force by our understanding. It also relies more on working to achieve our destiny. Do you ever have visions of the future?” 

“Not me, but Luke does. And Rey’s had Force Visions before. Luke says that stuff is different for each. He thinks I can heal, but he doesn’t know how to teach me because he doesn’t know how to do it.” 

“Each Jedi is suited to different things,” Obi-Wan said. “I am more suited to visions than Master Qui-Gon.” 

Finn nodded. “I guess that makes sense. So you believe in which again?” 

“The Unifying Force,” Obi-Wan explained. 

“And you can’t do both?” Finn asked. 

“Jedi tend to adhere more to one or the other,” Obi-Wan said. 

Finn nodded and looked away. He wondered what he believed. He’d have to think about it, especially if it was going to be that important. 

“Finn… what do you see when you look at yourself in the Force?” Obi-Wan asked. 

“Oh… Ahch-To. It’s all Ocean with a bunch of islands. I’m the Ocean. Deep in the Ocean,” he explained. 

“So… like an ocean planet instead of a forest planet on fire?” Obi-Wan asked. 

Finn blushed. “I don’t mean it like that.” 

“Why not?” Obi-Wan asked. 

“It’s just different. I feel it different than Anakin does. It’s not bad. It’s just different,” Finn tried to explain. This was where things go frustrating. 

“That’s fine,” Obi-Wan said. “I was just curious. So, you said you practice meditation, what else?” 

“Well, in the First Order, we trained to be soldiers. Turned out some of the weapons we learned weren’t that different from light sabers. And we were supposed to know how to defend against lightsabers. And so we learned a little. But Luke’s been teaching me. And Rey too. But it’s kind of more difficult with her. She’s more of a natural with it, but she doesn’t like using only one lightsaber.” 

“She uses two?” Obi-Wan asked. 

Finn laughed. “No. She’s used to using a staff. And Luke found information about a Force user who had a staff lightsaber. They’re trying to figure out how to build her one. No luck so far. So I got Luke’s old lightsaber, the one Rey was using and they’re busy trying to figure out the mechanics of something they’re not really certain ever existed.” 

Obi-Wan smiled a bit. “You can talk speak with some of the Masters when we get back to the temple. Part of our training is to be able to make our own Lightsabers.” 

“So, maybe they’ll have a better idea,” Finn said. 

“And you can learn what to do with your own when it breaks. And it will break. That’s the nature of weapons you use too much,” Obi-Wan said. 

“Don’t I know it,” Finn said. “It was so frustrating how many times our blasters gave out just on practice. And Slip just didn’t know what to do when that happened, even though they trained for it. And Nines and Zeroes would bitch when I fixed it for Slip, like we wouldn’t all die if we suddenly had to protect someone who didn’t have a weapon.” 

“Were those your friends?” Obi-Wan asked. 

“No… they were my unit. But Slip is dead. I was holding him and… it was the second real mission we ever saw. And Nines… well, we fought. But Han Solo… Force, you don’t even know who that is. But he helped save me and Rey… and well, he saw me being attacked and he shot Nines with a Wookie bowcaster.” 

Obi-wan winced. Well, at least he understood. You don’t even stand back up after you’ve been shot with one of those things. Unless your name is Kylo Ren. Finn was so bitter about that. 

“And now Zeroes is all alone. He didn’t even like me. And he didn’t like Slip. He didn’t like anyone but Nines. He loved Nines so much.” Finn cut himself up. He bowed his head, looking down at his knees. He’d never allowed himself to think about it. He knew about the traded kisses between Nines and Zeroes. It was impossible for Finn to not know how much they adored each other. Finn just didn’t tell anyone. 

“Was… was that allowed?” Obi-Wan asked quietly. 

“Not at all. We weren’t supposed to value an individual over the Order. But it happened anyway. I was in charge of my unit. If it got found out I would have been in even more trouble than they were.” 

“But you didn’t tell,” Obi-Wan said. Finn nodded. 

“They loved each other. If anything, I was jealous… and now Zeroes has no one.” Finn just normally tried not to think about it. 

“It’s not your fault,” Obi-Wan said. 

“Which doesn’t change how I feel,” Finn said. “I know Stormtroopers die all the time. We’re expendable and interchangeable. You only get a name if you make officer. Other than that, you don’t matter. But they were my brothers and sisters and they matter to me.” 

“Having compassion is important to being a Jedi,” Obi-Wan said. 

“It’s important to being human. Although you wouldn’t think so the way a lot of people acted.” Finn couldn’t keep the bitterness from his voice. 

“I’m sorry,” Obi-Wan said. “I didn’t mean to keep getting us off track... I just am not certain why you’re sharing this with me.” 

Finn jerked his head to the cockpit. “Kylo Ren was part of the First Order. But at the head. To him we’re expendable. Same thing with slaves. If Anakin wasn’t his grandfather, Kylo Ren Wouldn’t care at all. No one here even knows about Slip, Nines and Zeroes. And that’s wrong. Someone else needs to know. They matter. They’re people. It doesn’t matter how they were raised. We’re people.” 

“Alright, I understand,” Obi-Wan said. “And I understand that while you have an excellent connection to the Force that you need a lot of work on lightsaber skills. And you’ll need to undertake a lot of study once we get to Coruscant.” 

“That’s fine. I can work with that,” Finn said. “Start now?” 

“Yes,” Obi-Wan said. “I know we don’t have a lot of space, but I’d like to see a few of your fighting stances, if you don’t mind.” 

Finn stood up and stretched. “I don’t.” He removed his lightsaber from his belt. He began showing Obi-Wan the forms he’d learned from Luke.

* * *

Finn collapsed into the Co-Pilot’s seat next to Kylo Ren. He’d been running drills with first Obi-Wan and then with Qui-Gon Jinn for hours. It seemed what Luke knew wasn’t exactly up to Master Jinn’s scrutiny. Finn couldn’t help but feel annoyed on Luke’s behalf. Luke learned from two Masters who had died shortly after they began Luke’s training. He hadn’t gotten the twenty some odd years of training that normal Jedi got. And he still stayed as true to the Jedi as he could.

Still, he’d spent the last few hours having his every move criticized. He didn’t even have real space in the hold of the ship. He hadn’t been able to do all the steps the way he wanted to, and he had nowhere to move.

And then Master Jinn had wanted to host guided meditation. Finn only didn’t complain because he didn’t want Anakin to complain. And yes, the guided meditation had been good for them, even if it wasn’t in quite the sitting position Finn was used to. 

Finn put Shmi and Anakin to bed and let the Jedi stretch out. He was tired, but not enough to try and find space on the floor. And there were a few things he needed to talk to Kylo Ren about. 

“How did training go?” Finn asked. 

“You mean earlier?” Kylo Ren asked. He was observing the instruments on the ship’s dashboard. 

“Yeah, when Anakin and Shmi were in here?” Finn asked. 

“Educational,” Kylo Ren. “I never realized how much was lost in the Purge. It wasn’t just information, it was the way it all fit together.” He looked troubled. Finn just felt sad. 

“Did Anakin enjoy himself?” Finn asked. 

“He was very excited. I was surprised that Jinn started teaching the woman as well,” Kylo Ren said. He looked out the view screen. The stars really were beautiful. 

“Her name is Shmi. And she’s your great grandmother, so you should have some respect,” Finn said. 

“This is nothing like the way I thought it would be,” Kylo Ren said. 

“What is?” Finn asked. 

“Meeting my Grandfather. I assumed he would be Darth Vader, no longer a Jedi, but a powerful Sith… and I never expected to see him so…”

“Young?” Finn asked. 

“That,” Kylo Ren said. “He’s… I remember being that age. I didn’t want to be a Jedi, though. I just wanted to stay with my-” he cut himself off. 

“Father?” Finn guessed. 

Ren turned and glared at him. Finn felt badly satisfied to see the scar on Ren’s face. Rey had given him that. Finn hoped that he’d left a scar on Ren’s arm as well. He hoped that Ren had to suffer through seeing his loses on his body for all of his life. Finn hoped he was haunted by it. 

“Why are you here?” Ren snapped. 

“Because we need to talk about what we’re going to tell people,” Finn said. “I was telling Obi-Wan stuff and I realized maybe it’s a bad idea.” 

“I’m pretty certain if we were going to screw up the timeline so bad that we cease to exist that the Force wouldn’t have sent us back,” Ren said. 

“Not like that,” Finn said, wrinkling at his nose at the old convention of holofilms and fiction on time travel. 

“Then what?” 

“I mean, maybe everything we know we shouldn’t say. Like, I don’t think it’s a good thing for Ani to know he went dark side. Do you?” Finn asked. He knew accusation was in his voice. “He’s a kid. Things could be different. Clearly the Force wants it to be different or we wouldn’t be here.” 

“No, I agree with you,” Ren said. “Do you know a lot about Darth Vader?” 

“No… only that he was the Emperor’s right hand… And apparently that’s who Ani becomes one day.” It was disheartening to know that Ani hadn’t been able to escape the darkness. But maybe they could do better this time. 

“He was Sith,” Kylo Ren said. “Pure Dark side.” 

“And you’re not?” Finn asked. 

“The Knights of Ren are an ancient order of Grey Jedi. Jedi practice only the light and the Sith practice only the dark. A lot of other Force Users believe it’s stupid to not allow yourself to be open to both. The Knights of Ren use more of the Dark side, but they use the Light where it suits them. We just try not to use it too much,” Ren explained. 

“Alright then,” Finn said. It made sense in word form, though Finn knew the reality was horrible and awful. “So we’re not telling the Council about the Knights of Ren.” 

“Since I don’t want to start a man hunt for my people. No,” Ren said darkly. “And we’re not telling them about Darth Vader. They’re so close minded they’d probably throw Anakin out immediately.” 

Finn decided that if that were true that he truly did not like the Council. 

“And we should leave out most if the information about the First Order,” Ren added. 

“Why?” Finn asked. “So you won’t sound bad?” 

“Because it’s too far off for them to worry about… and because I doubt it will flourish into existence if the Empire doesn’t exist first,” Ren said. 

“How does this help you?” Finn asked. 

“Darkness will always come back, but the Sith are stupid. They are too busy destroying each other. They destroy us too. The Jedi weren’t the only ones Purged. Any Force user who wasn’t the Emperor or Darth Vader were destroyed if they could be found. The Knights of Ren are what’s left. We never should have lost so many. I assumed this is my purpose in being here.” 

Finn nodded. He didn’t like it, but he supposed that a Dark side user who could be reasoned with was better than ones that couldn’t. He hoped anyway. 

“I will talk about the First Order… but not like it’s a pressing threat,” Finn said. “But we need to get them to believe in the Purge.” 

“And we need to try and avoid the Clone Wars,” Ren said. “If possible. It gave the Emperor his power.” 

“Do you know who the Emperor is?” Finn asked. He hadn’t heard much except the old man was called the Emperor. The New Republic had worked hard to strike the man’s name from the history books.

“Yes… sort of. It’s complicated. I just don’t want the Jedi running right at him if they believe us. Or worse, telling him if they don’t. We need to be careful about this,” Ren said. “I know more than you. For now we need to focus on trying to make them realize the seeds of their destruction have already been sown.” 

“If they’re really as stubborn as you said they were, then we’re going to have a hard time,” Finn said. 

“They’re worse,” Ren said. “This is why I hate power structures. I mean, clearly I’m not something they’d encountered in a long time. They didn’t want to believe I wasn’t Sith. And they didn’t want to believe I was Sith either. It splint right down the middle and I was standing right there.” 

Finn let out a soft groan. “How does that even work?” 

“Not well,” Ren said. “I see why my mother always got frustrated with committees now.”

Finn laughed softly. “Oh, she’d love this wouldn’t she? She might actually kill someone.” 

“Her temper has always been worse than mine,” Ren said. 

Finn stared at Ren. This wasn’t the Kylo Ren he knew. But then, he’d clearly been here for a while. Having to convince a bunch of people who didn’t want to listen might have tempered him. Finn also didn’t believe for a second that General Organa had a worse temper than Kylo Ren. 

“How long were you there?” Finn asked. 

“The Andvor Stone sent me to the Council Chamber two months ago,” Ren said. 

“Well… I guess that’s good for us,” Finn said. “I don’t know how we would have gotten off of Tatooine otherwise.” 

“And we never would have found you,” Ren said. He was nodding along. 

Finn slumped back in his seat. “The Force provides.” 

“A lot of pain,” Ren said. 

Finn laughed softly. “Oh man. Yeah… I miss Rey,” he said. 

“I don’t,” Ren said. 

Finn laughed a little longer. “I can’t imagine why.” He closed his eyes for a moment and let out a heavy sigh. “I am not letting the Council be alone with Ani or Shmi. They’ll probably upset them.” Upset would probably be an understatement. But if everything Ren said was true, then everything was going to be very delicate. He didn’t want anyone frightening either of them. And he didn’t want Ani being exposed to even more darkness. 

Finn didn’t want to think about what Anakin had probably already experienced. Even if Shmi tried to protect Anakin from the worst of life, as Finn imagined she did, Finn still knew that Anakin didn’t walk away totally innocent. There was a vast different between growing up with in a structured, but loving environment, as Finn imagined most of the Jedi grew up in, and growing up with someone else owning your body. 

Finn knew Ren wouldn’t understand, so he didn’t bring it up. Finn hadn’t talked about it with Poe either. Poe just wouldn’t get it. Luke understood a little bit. Tatooine’s economy ran on slavery. Luke had grown up around it. While Finn hadn’t realized that Skywalker was a slave name, it made sense. It was a name that sounded like freedom. Something slaves would want and their owners would want to taunt them with. Even free, Luke would understand, having been yoked with the stigma from his name. 

It wasn’t odd to Finn that a slave name was now one of the most revered in the Galaxy. It meant strength and freedom. Finn was proud to have that name, more now that he knew its true origin. He had escaped. He was a Skywalker.

Rey understood too. Not exactly. She’d been bound by poverty. But really, poverty could be just as tight of a leash of ownership as a paper of sale. It kept you bound to people you couldn’t escape. And it could follow you to your grave and haunt your children afterwards. 

Finn felt isolated often because he didn’t know things other people did. But for once he didn’t feel so isolated. Yes, he was out of time and out of place. But he had people who understood. Shmi didn’t need to have been part of the First Order to know exactly what they were like. She didn’t need it to be explained. She didn’t need him to explain the grief of those he’d left behind and lost, the way he had to explain to Obi-Wan. She didn’t need him to explain the relief of being away from the First Order. They understood each other. 

And both of them were grateful that Anakin had escaped many of the understandings they shared, and grief that Anakin also understood them, even if not completely. 

In the other time, Finn had Rey and some understanding from Luke. Finn still had them. He knew they loved him, even if they were separated for now. Now he had Shmi and Anakin. He wasn’t alone. Even with everything he did know that they didn’t, there was still a lot they would understand that no one else would. 

And he would fight for them. If the Council tried to hurt them, he would protect them. He could do that now. This wasn’t the First Order. He didn’t have to protect Slip quietly. Finn could and would be loud about this protection. This was his family now. He wasn’t going to let the Council hurt them. He wouldn’t let anyone hurt them.


	4. Chapter 4

It took four days to get back to Coruscant. Finn had never been on a planet like that before. He soon as he saw it he was reminded of Jakku. Who would willingly chose to live on a planet that had no water, no trees, no natural animals? Crazy people, or the very poorest. He was pretty certain Rey would agree with him. 

“That’s home,” Obi-Wan said. He was piloting the ship down for landing. Apparently the autopilot wasn’t good enough to manage that, which made Finn retroactively nervous about the flight they had been taking.

“It’s awful,” Ren said. “It doesn’t even look different.” 

“You’ve been there?” Finn asked. 

“The capital wasn’t always in the Hosnian System. Traditionally it’s been on Coruscant,” Ren explained. He shivered. “I hate this place.” 

“We’ll, you’re going to be stuck here for a while,” Jinn said. Finn turned to look at the man. He was standing just outside the door, his head ducked a little so he could see in. Anakin had wanted to see Coruscant, but they really couldn’t fit more than him plus three full grown adult men in the small space. 

“I think it looks great,” Anakin said. “There’s not sand anywhere.” 

Finn laughed quietly. 

“True, in that way it is an improvement over Tatooine,” Finn agreed. 

“How long until we arrive?” Anakin asked. 

“Under an hour,” Obi-Wan said. “A lot less. I suggest getting strapped in for landing.” 

“Okay, Ani, let’s go sit down,” Finn said. This old rust bucket of a ship really couldn’t be very good if it wasn’t even safe to land without having to be strapped in. 

He carried Anakin out. Jinn had walked backwards to get out of their way. The man went to one of the benches and strapped in. Finn sat next to Shmi and got Anakin strapped in first, then he got himself strapped in. 

It was well under an hour before the ship started to rattle like crazy as it entered the atmosphere. They had found their landing pad and actually landed probably by a half hour. Finn was just happy when the ship stopped shaking and was finally still. 

“We’ve arrived,” Jinn said. He removed his restraints and got up. Finn got himself out of his straps. Shmi helped Anakin get out while Finn gathered their things together. Obi-Wan opened the landing hatch and Jinn waited for them. 

Soon enough their little party was ready to go. Jinn walked out first, then Obi-Wan. Ren followed with the parts for C3PO. Finn held onto one of Anakin’s hands, and Shmi held the other. They walked out together.

One the landing pad waiting for them was another Jedi. Obi-Wan had explained that the darker robes noted a Jedi Knight versus a Padawan. 

“Master Windu,” Jinn said, folding his hands up into his robe. 

“Qui-Gon, this is more than one child,” Master Windu said, eyeing them. 

Finn couldn’t help but feel a little excited. The First Order didn’t have high ranking officers who looked like Finn. But here was a man who looked like Finn, and he was clearly at least as the same level as Master Jinn, who Obi-Wan told him was one of the most respected Jedi the Order currently had. 

“Yes, well, it turned out that there were a few complications,” Jinn said. There was humor in his voice. “Which I promise to explain.” 

“I’m sure you will,” Master Windu said. He was eyeing them all. 

“Leave your things here, and including the blasters, Finn,” Jinn said, turning to look at them. “They’ll be taken out a guest suite.” 

Finn grumbled, but he left his bag and both his blasters in the pile of luggage with the rest. Kylo Ren left C3PO there as well. 

“Is that a lightsaber?” Master Windu asked. 

Finn looked up. “Master Luke Skywalker gave it to me,” Finn said. 

“Finn is studying under a Master that we don’t have in the temple records,” Jinn said quickly before Master Windu could ask. “Which is part of what we need to discuss.” 

“Great,” Master Windu said, a certain level of sarcasm in his voice. 

Master Windu turned and headed into the temple. Jinn followed after him, coming to walk beside him. Obi-Wan walked slightly behind them. The rest of them were left to follow. 

“Mace Windu is one of the council,” Ren said quietly. “Him and Yoda supported my petition to go to Tatooine.”

Finn nodded. Good to know. The man wasn’t completely on their side, but he might actually listen to them.

The walk through the halls was mostly quiet. Shmi or Finn would shush Anakin before he could ask any questions. Ren got more and more tense with every step they took. It set Finn on edge, and Shmi too from the looks of it. 

Finn wasn’t used to the opulence of the Temple. Finn was used to bunkers, or Ahch-To, which was basically a little hut that Luke had built to live in and expanded on when suddenly he had extra people coming to live with him. 

“This place is amazing,” Anakin whispered to him, a little louder than a whisper should be. 

“It’s something,” Finn whispered back. 

“Can you see it?” Anakin asked. “Close your eyes.” 

Finn did as he was told. He nearly gasped. The tapestry of the Force was old and powerful. There was so many threads from thousands of years. Their threads wove into the tapestry. It was like the Temple drew in the life around it, feeding off it and giving it back. There were bright spots all throughout the temple, a galaxy of stars that were the Jedi in residence, along with all the Padawans and Initiates. The Temple was full to the brim with life and the Force and Light. 

No wonder his place was important to the Jedi. 

The thought of this place being destroyed and impossible to touch made Finn sick. The idea of all those stars being snuffed at made Finn’s stomach heave. He banished those thoughts into the Force. This was what he was here for. 

He opened his eyes and set his shoulders.

They were led to the end of a corridor. The doors were pushed open. Eleven people sat waiting for them. Master Windu went and took his seat in the circle of people. Finn had never seen many non-humans until he’d joined the Resistance. It surprised him to see only two full humans on the council. 

“Master Jinn, this is more than one boy,” the one full human woman with two looped braids said. 

“I am aware,” Jinn said. “We arrived at Tatooine and after some searching were able to locate the boy Kylo Ren spoke of. But we could not buy him. He and his mother had already been freed,” Jinn said. 

“So this is the boy,” Master Windu said. 

“His name is Anakin,” Finn said. He could see the look of disdain on Ren’s face, and all of the Council was staring at him. He didn’t care. “Anakin Skywalker. This is his Mother, Shmi Skywalker. And I’m Finn Skywalker. We’re people, not items. And we would appreciate it if you would speak to us, and not about us.” 

“Appropriate, this request is,” a small green… something said. Finn regretted that he hadn’t done more work studying species before. Finn closed his eyes for a moment, reaching for the Force. All of these Masters looked different to him in the Force. The one who spoke was like a deep well, running down, down, down further than Finn could see. Finn opened his eyes and let his nerves and his anger go, it had no place here. 

“Master Jinn, you said that Padawan Skywalker here has a Jedi Master?” Master Windu asked. 

“That’s what is complicated,” Jinn said. “Finn Skywalker’s Master hasn’t been born yet. We were informed that Kylo Ren and Finn Skywalker came in contact with a Force infused artifact on Andvor, and that both of them are from what we’d consider the future.” 

“That’s impossible!” a man with a very tall head declared. 

“It isn’t or we wouldn’t be here,” Ren said shortly. 

“And where would you be if you weren’t here?” a woman with tentacles for hair asked. 

“I would have killed him and been on my way back,” Kylo Ren said. 

Finn snorted. “Oh please. You were nowhere near killing me. I seem to remember you were running away.” 

“A tactical retreat to get to higher ground,” Ren snapped. 

“And that’s how you got that scar on your face before? Tactical retreat?” Finn asked. He fought to keep a straight face. It was such a bad idea to poke at Ren like that, but Finn didn’t care. Kylo Ren had just declared that he would have killed him if the Force hadn’t intervened. 

“Boys,” Jinn said, as if to remind them where they were. 

“Apologies,” Finn said. He allowed himself to look a little ashamed. That wasn’t the kind of example he should set for Anakin. And they were trying to make these people believe their story. 

“Kylo Ren is your enemy?” the woman with the tentacles asked.

“That’s an understatement,” Finn said. “Where we come from, he’s done many horrible things. Including nearly kill me, torture a number of my friends, and many other things. But we have come to truce because what we have to say is important. Ren didn’t tell you about Anakin because of some prophecy. He did it because one day Anakin will be his grandfather. One of Anakin’s children is my master, Luke Skywalker. His other child is General Leia Organa. She’s been leading revolutions since she was younger than me, because something happens in your future and in my past. The Republic and the Jedi are destroyed and an evil Emperor takes over.” 

“Now that is impossible,” another man said. He had fur on his face and all over his body. “The Republic has been around for over 2000 years.” 

“Well, it was dead for nearly 30 before the New Republic was formed,” Ren said. 

“Troubling,” the small green council member said. “This is. Most troubling.” 

“Finn has some training,” Jinn said. “He is strong in the Force, but what he knows doesn’t completely line up with what we teach. We’ve been working with him on the kata. It’s close but not exactly what we teach and learn. He’s informed us that his Master is the only Jedi left, and that the ability to find material to teach and study has been severely limited by the Purge that destroyed the Jedi.” 

“You realize this is unbelievable,” Master Windu said. “Even for us.” 

“Who survives the Purge?” the human woman with the braids asked. “Someone must survive to pass on the Jedi way to this Luke Skywalker.” 

“Obi-Wan Kenobi,” Finn said. 

“And Master Yoda,” Ren said, nodding his head to the council member. 

“Luke mentioned Qui-Gon Jinn before as well,” Finn said. 

“Not that he was alive,” Ren said. “Ahsoka Tano survived as well, but she had already left the order.” 

“I’ve never heard of her before,” Finn said. 

“Neither have we,” the council member with the horns said. 

“She’s younger than my Grandfather. He trained her, but she left the Order before the Purge,” Ren said. 

“And Anakin had to as well,” Finn said. He looked down at Anakin, who looked up at him. Anakin reached for Finn’s hand, which Finn took. Finn found all this talk vaguely terrifying. Finn just knew how to move the terror to the back of his mind to be dealt with when he had time. Anakin didn’t know how to do that yet. 

“This is still impossible to believe,” the furry council member said. 

“Imagine how it feels for us,” Finn said. “We’re nowhere near home. I couldn’t contact anyone from home. We’re in the middle of a war back home. It’s terrifying when you can’t find anyone, when you wake up on a planet you knew you weren’t on before he lost consciousness.” 

“We would like to believe you, but you realize how unlikely this sounds,” the human said. 

“Then one of you can read my memories,” Finn said. “I was a soldier, kidnapped at birth by an organization that came out of the Empire after its fall. You can see.” 

“Are you crazy?” Ren hissed. “You don’t let someone into your mind like that. They could destroy you?” 

“Rey’s grandfather is part of this group. And Master Jinn has been good to us. And if you said that Master Yoda trained Luke then that means that some part of them is good. And how do we expect them to trust us if we can’t trust them at all.” 

There was a moment of silence in the chamber. 

“What if they hurt you?” Anakin asked quietly. 

“Anakin,” Shmi said quietly. 

“No, mom, what if they hurt him?” Anakin asked. Anxiety was coming off Anakin in waves. 

“Sometimes trust means putting yourself in a place where someone can hurt you,” Finn said. He bent over to look Anakin in the eye. “And sometimes trying to help people means that you’re going to get hurt. That’s what it means to be a freeman. You get to decide when you allow yourself to be vulnerable to someone hurting you… and that’s how you make allies and friends.” 

Anakin looked unhappy, more than unhappy. But he nodded. He stuck close to his mother, pressing against her. Shmi put both her arms around him. Obi-Wan was staring at him. So was Jinn. The look on Jinn’s face was pride. 

Finn took a deep breath and stepped forward. “So, who wants a look?” 

“Here, come,” the small council member, Yoda said. 

Finn walked over and knelt at Yoda’s feet. Finn bowed his head close to Yoda. Finn closed his eyes and opened himself to the Force. He could see down, down into the well that was Master Yoda. He felt the touch of Yoda’s clawed hand on his forehead. Finn opened himself up. His gut told him this was dangerous, but he told his instincts to shut up. He watched as Yoda pushed into his mind. He could see pulses along the well. There was a push into his mind. And then there was amazing discomfort. 

Yoda wasn’t trying to hurt him, but Finn had a lot of painful memories, and each memory brought up also brought up the old emotions attached to it. He watched himself wishing that someone, anyone would give him a name like those in his units. He felt his own pride at the praise Phasma gave him. He knew he was meant for more than just being a Stormtrooper. He watched his unit kill the miners. He watched himself unable to shoot simulations of people he wasn’t certain were enemies. He watched Slip die his arms. He watched Kylo Ren stopping Poe’s blaster. He watched his fellow Stormtroopers killing the village. He watch himself freeing Poe. He watched meeting Rey. The love was so warm to that memory even though she’d knocked him down and BB8 had zapped him. 

He watched meeting Han Solo, the confirmation of all the old stories he’d told being true. Those stories flashed across his mind. He watched Kylo Ren kidnap Ren. He watched himself find Rey. He watched Kylo Ren kill Han. Their fight played out in slow detail. He could feel Ren’s lightsaber slice down his back. 

He relived waking up in the medbay. He relived talking to General Organa, her belief that her son could still be saved, against all evidence to the contrary. He saw himself going to Luke. Rey holding him, so happy he was alive. Luke’s easy acceptance. When Luke told Finn he could be a Skywalker as well. Fighting to try and save Luke from Kylo Ren. Meeting Anakin and seeing just how much strength he had. Obi-Wan and him talking-

The memories cut off. 

Finn staggered back. He felt strong arms grab him. He felt that it was Jinn before he could see him. Jinn helped to straighten him. Finn took a few moments to come back to the present. The rush of memories and emotions had been very strong. He’d lived them all again. All of those emotions at once made him feel sick. He shut it down. He could be numb now and deal with the emotions later. 

His eyes focus on Yoda, who was looking desperately troubled. 

“Not from here, Finn Skywalker is,” Yoda said. “Believe him, I do.” 

“So now what?” Master Windu asked. 

“Find them a place to stay before he collapses, we should,” Yoda said. 

“I’m not going to fall down,” Finn said. 

“Much to discuss we have,” Yoda said. 

“Obi-Wan, take them to their rooms for now,” Jinn said. 

“Yes, Master,” Obi-Wan said. He put his arm around Finn and began to lead him out. Finn felt a headache coming on. He didn’t argue. 

“Are you okay?” Anakin asked quietly once they were out of the Council Chamber. 

“Ow. I don’t recommend that,” Finn said. He rubbed his forehead. 

“That was very brave,” Obi-Wan said. “Jedi form strong bonds. But even we don’t open ourselves up like that to strangers.” 

“It had to be done,” Finn said. 

“Don’t do it again,” Shmi said. 

Finn winced. “I won’t.”

* * *

Obi-Wan didn’t pace, but it was a close thing. He’d gotten Finn to the rooms that the Skywalker Family had been provided. He and Shmi had gotten him settled in a bed and gotten his boots and jacket off. Anakin had crawled in bed with him, not truly believing that Master Yoda hadn’t broken Finn in some way.

Obi-Wan had found a tea stocked in the kitchen to help with the headache, which he brewed for Finn. He stayed while Finn drank it. He stayed until Finn and Anakin fell asleep. Then he’d stayed to explain to Shmi what must have happened. Eventually she’d sent him away. 

In an odd amount of patience, Ren and stayed quiet while all of this happened. Obi-Wan walked Kylo Ren to his rooms, which were guarded. He wasn’t allowed to be alone in the temple at any point. Once Kylo Ren was safely put away, Obi-Wan and returned to his Master’s quarters to wait. 

Master Qui-Gon hadn’t returned since then. Obi-Wan knew it was beneath him to be acting so impatient. But something had happened in the Council Chamber, and he wanted to know what happened once he’d left. 

When the door opened Obi-Wan was right there. 

Qui-Gon looked tired, but his mouth turned up in amusement as soon as he saw Obi-Wan. “Patient as ever,” he said. 

“You’re always telling me to live in the moment,” Obi-Wan said. 

Qui-Gon let out a small huff of a laugh. He shut the door behind him. He walked in and dropped onto his couch. 

“Tea?” Obi-Wan offered. 

“Please,” his Master requested. 

Obi-Wan rushed off to make tea. His previously frayed patience suddenly had no bounds. He got his Master a cup of tea, placing the warm cup into Qui-Gon’s much larger hands. There was a slight brush of fingers, something that was normal but still pleased Obi-Wan very much.

Finn’s admission of loving someone so completely had made Obi-Wan jealous. They weren’t supposed to have strong attachments to a single person. Of course it was impossible to cut yourself off completely from caring about the people around you. The point was that you needed to be able to let a person go when they died. And if the situation arise, you wouldn’t lose yourself seeking a way to save them. You had so sacrifice your interests for others. 

Obi-Wan understood that. He also understood that his Master wasn’t the best at it. Xanatos and Tahl. Whatever love and affection his Master had for them had deeply affected him. And yet still his Master set aside his pains to do what was right. 

Obi-Wan wanted to be able to do that. He just feared that he never would be able to. 

There was no reason to be jealous of Finn. His love was a fellow student, someone near his age. And they were separated. Obi-Wan hadn’t want to think that Finn may never see her again, but it was a possibility. 

At least Obi-Wan got to stay by the side of the man who had his affection. Really, it wouldn’t make a difference if he were allowed attachments. If Finn had wanted his Master Luke, then Obi-Wan would have had a chance. But the bond between Padawan and Master was sacred. 

Obi-Wan got a chance to spend every with Qui-Gon Jinn for a number of years. And then when their bond was broken he would have to move on and leave him behind. It was the ultimate test of his resolve and his commitment to the Jedi Order.

He just hoped he did it was half the grace of Finn. Finn was out of time, away from the people he loved, and working with a man who appeared to be one of his greatest enemies. And Finn simply did it because that was what the Force asked of him. That was a level off faith that Obi-Wan was certain that Qui-Gon had achieved, but only after years of practice. 

Yes, he was jealous. But he admired Finn too. Obi-Wan wanted to be around him more, to learn from him. 

“What did the Council say, Master?” Obi-Wan asked, dropping down on the couch. Not too close to be in his Master’s space, not too far away to be suspicious.

“They’ve decided that Anakin can’t be trained. That he’s too old,” Master Qui-Gon said. 

“But with that amount of power, to not train him could easily lead to our own destruction,” Obi-Wan said. Now that he knew the end of the Order was on the table, Obi-Wan felt more keenly aware that any misstep might contribute to their eventual doom. He would need to temper that fear through meditation, but there hadn’t been time yet.

“Which is true,” Qui-Gon said. He took another sip of tea. He let out a quiet sigh of pleasure at the taste. Those types of sounds always made Obi-Wan’s heart beat a little faster. “But, we have time to argue them down.” 

“What time?” Obi-Wan asked. 

“They were hesitant to accept Finn into training as well. But he already as a Master. Luke Skywalker has already accepted him into the Order to be taught,” Qui-Gon explained. 

Obi-Wan felt a smile start on his face. “They won’t go against another Master.” 

“Even if he isn’t born yet. And Master Yoda agreed that if Finn is able to go back to his own time, it would be fortuitous to the continuation of the Jedi if someone has more training in are ways. So for now we will continue teaching him.” 

“Good,” Obi-Wan said. He saw potential in Finn. He wanted to see what he could really do, not just stiltedly walk through in the cramped quarters of a ship far too small for their needs.

“And, since their Order is different than ours, I argued that it would be against their code to send the rest of the Skywalker family away, as Finn has clearly already claimed them as his own.” Qui-Gon took a sip. The look of shock on Obi-Wan’s face allowed him to stare at his Master for a moment, to take in the movement of his throat as he swallowed, and the way his long fingers wrapped around the cup.

“I have a hard time believing that they agreed to that,” Obi-Wan admitted. 

“Whatever Yoda saw convinced him. Mace sided with Yoda. Depa was amenable after that. Eeth Koth wasn’t happy that they hadn’t agreed to train Anakin to begin with. Yaddle agreed with Yoda on a test basis. Depa was able convince Adi easily enough. And Mundi agreed as a tie breaker,” Qui-Gon explained. 

“We got lucky,” Obi-Wan said, settling back into the comfort of the couch cushions. 

“Agreed,” Qui-Gon said. “Anakin will need to be educated, and I doubt that Finn won’t pass along what he knows.” 

“And there’s nothing in the Code saying that we can’t assist the Education of one of our guests,” Obi-Wan finished. It wasn’t completely the way it should be, but it would help. 

“And Finn will likely teach Shmi as well,” Qui-Gon added. 

Obi-Wan nodded. “Would you like me to continue instructing Finn through the katas?” 

“Yes,” Qui-Gon said. “He reacts well to you.” 

“Will we begin in the morning?” Obi-Wan asked. 

“After a trip to medical.” 

“Alright,” Obi-Wan said. “He was very tired. He fell asleep very easily once we got him to a bed.” 

“He doesn’t have proper shields,” Qui-Gon said. 

“I thought so,” Obi-Wan said. 

“We’ll work on that education as well. Yoda’s exploration shouldn’t have harmed him as badly as it did. He must not know how to separate memory from emotions.” Qui-Gon drained the last of his tea and stood. “We should get sleep. The morning comes early and there is much to do.” 

“Yes, Master,” Obi-Wan said, rising as well. His Master headed to the kitchen. Obi-Wan headed to his own room. He could also use a long night’s sleep. The benches on the ship were not conducive to restful sleep. He was looking forward to a night on an actual mattress.

* * *

Finn woke up with a dull ache in his head. Shmi made him a cup of tea that cleared that up. Finn wasn’t certain how all the appliances in the kitchen worked, but Shmi had apparently already figured it out. Finn was pretty certain that Anakin got his interest in machines and making things work from her. Anakin was still young enough to think of those things fun and not a necessity of a hard life lived on hand off scraps.

Breakfast was good. 

Obi-Wan came to meet them. He sat down with all of them to attempt meditation before the day begin. Anakin struggled to stay still, but Finn had the easiest time slipping into the Force that he’d ever had. Every part of the Temple was bursting with the Force. It was easy for Finn to just slip under, find the threads and follow them where they would lead. 

They didn’t lead particularly anywhere except that there was a gentle whisper of excitement. When meditation time ended, Finn was feeling like it was going to be a good day. 

“What are we doing today?” Anakin asked. 

“To start with, I’m taking you all to see the Healers. They want to be certain there’s nothing wrong, and to give you any immunizations you may have missed,” Obi-Wan explained. 

Finn smiled. “Oh boy. So much fun,” he said with a light sarcasm. Obi-Wan shot him a look that Finn could only describe as a very polite dirty look. Finn had to work hard not to laugh. 

Obi-Wan lead them to the Healers, with a stop over to get Kylo Ren. 

Finn didn’t ask what in the world they needed to check Ren for. At least, he didn’t while they were walked to the Healers. Once Anakin and Shmi were back with a number of healers, Finn pulled Obi-Wan aside. “Did they not check Ren out when he first got here?” 

“They want to check for genetic matches,” Obi-Wan said. “To see if he and Anakin really are related.” 

An idea formed in Finn’s head almost instantly. He considered it for a moment before he just decided to ask. He was away from the First Order, separated by sixty some odd years or more. There was no way to for him to find his First Order records and see where he’d been stolen from. Not now. 

“Do you think they can check me for genetic markers?” Finn asked. “I was stolen as a child… or given away. I don’t know. I just have no idea where my family could have come from. You think there’s a way to narrow it down to a planet or a star system or something?” 

Obi-Wan pursed his lips for a moment. “I’m not certain. They’d have to test it against species on record. And humans have a tendency to move around. And I don’t know how much has changed between now and your time… but we can try.” 

“Even being able to rule out some places would be good,” Finn said. “I honestly don’t know anything. There wasn’t time for me to search for my records. But I want to know.” 

“Alright. I’ll have them run the test on your as well.” Obi-Wan had a really reassuring smile. Finn was beginning to like him in a way that did and did not have anything to do with his feelings for Rey. Obi-Wan was a really nice guy. He had a dry sense of humor and a strong sense of empathy. But a lot of the things that Finn liked about Rey: her strength, her drive, her loyalty, all of these things he found in Obi-Wan. 

All he could think that he easily could have liked Obi-Wan if he’d never met Rey, just because both of them had the type of personality that Finn just found very appealing. 

The Healers ran Finn and the rest of his family through their health paces. The Healer he was working with fussed over his back and applied some salve, which would apparently help to lessen the scaring. Finn wasn’t going to say no to not having his back look so bad. The healing Finn had was more technologically advanced, but in some ways, the Jedi healers were better. What they could do worked differently than the Resistance doctors. 

Really, Finn was just glad when it was over. He was glad when he had his shirt back on and was able to sit with Anakin and Shmi. Both of them had a protein drink that they were drinking. Finn had been given a water pack earlier that he’d already finished. 

“Alright,” the Healer said. Finn was going to have to get her name later, but he also just wanted to get their diagnosis and go do something else. 

“What’s the damage?” Finn asked. 

“Shmi and Anakin both have a level of dehydration, and levels of malnourishments. Both of you are going to be on special diets and drinking requirements for a while. And both of you need to have a series of immunizations. Shmi also needs a few boosters,” the healer said, looking at their datapad. 

“And me?” Finn asked. 

“You need to add a few extra glasses of water a day for about a week. And you have immunizations for things that we haven’t ever seen before. We’d like to take some blood samples to study. See if we can try to engineer some of these vaccines before they’re needed,” the Healer said. 

“As long as it doesn’t keep me from training, you can have my blood,” Finn said, offering a friendly smile, which the Healer returned. 

“Yes, as for the genetic matches. We’ve only run a basic scan. But, Shmi Skywalker and Anakin Skywalker have a close genetic bond, easily identifiable as parent and child.” 

“As I said,” Shmi said a bit tersely. 

“We were just checking out results,” the Healer explained. She offered Shmi a soothing smile and then looked back at the scan. “Anakin Skywalker and Kylo Ren have a genetic match, between two to four generations separated. We’ll get a closer read once we have done a more indepth test.” 

“As I said,” Kylo Ren said. He looked a bit sulky. They had wanted to send him away, but he wouldn’t go until he had his results. And they didn’t need to run any tests besides the genetic test, so he’d been stuck there for a couple hours while they others were checked over. As far as Finn could tell, Ren was bored.

The Healer ignored Ren’s outburst and kept speaking. “Anakin Skywalker and Finn Skywalker have a genetic match, between two to four generations of separation. We’ll have a closer read after a more in depth analysis.” 

“What?” Finn heard Obi-Wan ask. Finn felt like his head was filled with a kind of static. Related? He was related to Anakin. 

“Did your mother give birth more than once?” Obi-Wan asked. 

“If she had, I assure you I would have known,” Kylo Ren said. He sounded bitter. Finn was looking down at his knees. 

“Does this mean I’m Finn’s Grandfather too?” Anakin asked joy in his voice. 

“Is it possible that your Grandfather had other children?” Obi-Was asked, and edge now in his voice. 

“No,” Ren said coldly. 

“Luke,” Finn said quietly. A memory hit him with the force of an avalanche. “When I met him the first time… it just felt right. I thought it was because I knew he was Rey’s teacher. But he just felt… he felt like family.” He turned to look at Anakin who was grinning and Shmi who was giving Finn a worried look. “Like you both felt like family.” 

Shmi smiled her own type of quiet smile. “That’s because you’re a Skywalker. You’re one of us.” 

“Nice to meet you, Grandson!” Anakin declared with a loud laugh. He got up on his knees and wrapped his arms around Finn’s neck, nearly strangling Finn with the Force of his hug. 

A loud laugh burst out of Finn’s mouth. He gathered up Anakin, dragging him into a tight hug, which just made Anakin laugh louder. “I may be younger than you, but I’m way bigger,” Finn said. He started to tickle Anakin. Anakin squirmed like a bug, but didn’t pull away. He just laughed louder and louder. 

Family. Finn had a family. By his choice. But his blood. 

He stopped tickling Anakin and hugged him close. Shmi moved closer and put her arms around Finn. “I’m glad,” she told him quietly.

“Well… I guess congratulations are in order,” Obi-Wan said. He sounded like he was in shock. He looked a little like it to. Finn just offered him a lopsided smile. 

“Thanks, Obi-Wan,” he said. He felt Anakin’s hug tighten. Finn hugged Anakin again. 

He caught the look on Kylo Ren’s face. It was thunderous. Finn didn’t have to think about why Ren was angry. But Finn didn’t feel sorry for him. Ren had walked away from his family and killed his own father. His isolation was his own fault. 

And Finn had a family. 

A sly grin spread across his face. “Nice to meet you, Cousin.” 

Ren didn’t say anything, but he turned and stormed out. 

“I better go after him,” Obi-Wan said. “He’s not allowed to be without an escort.” He slipped away, following after Ren.

“So, now we’re really a family,” Anakin said. “It’s official.” 

“It was official before this, Ani,” Finn said. 

“We’re happy to have you,” Shmi said. She pressed against Finn’s side and put her arm around him. Finn got the feeling that he was going to be getting a lot of mothering from her in the future. He couldn’t be unhappy about that. He’d never been mothered before. He thought it might make a nice change. 

“I’m really happy to have you both as well,” Finn said. “Thank you for wanting me.” 

“Why wouldn’t we want you?” Anakin asked. “You’re awesome.” 

“Thanks, Kid,” Finn said. He gave Anakin another hug. And Shmi gave Finn a little squeeze. 

Whatever happened from here, Finn had a family. And not even Kylo Ren could take that fact away from him.


	5. Chapter 5

Three weeks of training and he and Ren never spoke. They hadn’t spoken since the Healer told them they were related. A week after the declaration that Finn was a Skywalker and that Anakin was definitely related to Ren as well, they had another meeting with a Healer. It was to talk about something called Midiclorians, which Finn had never heard of, but which were apparently really important to the Jedi. 

Finn hadn’t gotten much except that he, Anakin and Ren all had way more than normal, and that Finn had less than Anakin, but more than Ren. That had seemed to anger Ren a lot as well. Whatever communication they might have been able to have just broke down worse after that. But Finn decided that he wasn’t going to worry about Ren’s feelings. 

Finn was trying to cram about twenty-odd years of learning into as little time as possible. It didn’t make him happy to learn that the Jedi Order essentially kidnapped children from their families and raised them to know nothing but the Order. Finn had done his best to keep his tongue, but even he wasn’t able to stay quiet all the time. 

“It’s the way the Order is,” Obi-Wan tried to soothe him when Finn pulled him aside to ask about it in the privacy of Obi-Wan’s room. 

“It’s just how the First Order is,” Finn said, trying to not be angry. But he couldn’t stop from sound bitter. 

“We test children, but they are given to the temple by their families. They aren’t stolen,” Obi-Wan said. “And we don’t have to become Jedi. For the most part, younglings choose to either stay the course or go into one of the corps. I was the first initiate in a century who was sent to the AgriCorps instead of choosing to go.” 

Finn, who had been lounging on Obi-Wan’s suddenly rolled over to look at him. “How did you become a Padawan then?” That was something else Finn didn’t really like. He respected and loved Luke very much. And Luke respected and loved Obi-Wan greatly. But the Order stood strong on divisions of ranks. The non-conformity of life on Ahch-To had been healing for Finn. If Finn wasn’t being treated as a special case, he knew he’d be chafing just as much as Ren at the way the Order worked. 

“Master Qui-Gon and I were supposed to be together. It just took him a little longer to realize it than it took me,” Obi-Wan said. He was sitting up against the wall, looking at a datapad with his homework on it. Obi-Wan was showing Finn the physical stuff. Jinn showed him a lot of the philosophy stuff. The rest, Finn had tutoring of sorts. 

“Did he decide he missed you?” Finn asked, trying not to smirk. Obi-Wan let his emotional shields down a little around Finn when it was just the two of them. Finn wasn’t certain, but he was starting to think that Obi-Wan really liked his Master in more than just a teacher/student way. 

Obi-Wan didn’t blush. He only shook his head. “No. His Padawan before me, Xanatos, he had fallen. I found out that he was on the planet I was on, as well as Master Qui-Gon. I went to help.” 

Finn felt his mouth drop open. “How old were you?” 

“Eleven,” Obi-Wan said with a shrug. 

“So… you’re telling me that you at eleven decided to try and face off against a Kylo Ren clone?” Finn asked. “Are you insane?” 

“No. I wanted to be a Jedi. I believed I was supposed to be one. And even if I couldn’t be I could help. I knew I could,” Obi-Wan said. His mouth was set in a stubborn frown. “I helped to stop him. He’d gone far beyond simply leaving the order. He’d turned.” There was finality in Obi-Wan's tone that told Finn "stop" meant "kill". 

Finn shivered. Even the First Order hadn’t made them kill people at eleven.

“So, Master Jinn took you after that?” Finn asked. 

“He called me a fool and brought me home. He braided my hair and kept me.” A soft smiled settled on Obi-Wan’s face. He tugged lightly at his braid like it was a comfort. 

Finn sat up and wrapped his arms around Obi-Wan, dragging him into a hug. “You’re going to be a great Jedi one day. The kind that can and does train the last hope of the Order. Everything Luke knows is because of you. You gave him a foundation to give me and Rey a loving home when we’d never had that before. You’re going to be great.” 

Finn wasn’t certain that Obi-Wan would accept his touch. The First Order didn’t encourage touching. But Finn had observed that wasn’t true in the Jedi Order. But he wasn’t certain if Obi-Wan thought of him as close enough of a friend to accept such affection. 

He was very pleased when Obi-Wan melted right into his arms and hugged him back after tossing the datapad aside. Finn was glad. He was free with his affection with Anakin and Shmi, but Finn had spent years missing affection. He could feel touch starved even when he was wrapped completely around Rey.

“You know you’re going to be amazing too, right?” Obi-Wan asked. “You’re kind and focused. I’ve never seen someone slip into the Force so easily. Not even Master Qui-Gon or Anakin.” 

Finn felt his face heat up and he pulled away. “I don’t know.” 

“I know,” Obi-Wan insisted.

“Is this one of your future vision things?” Finn teased, trying not to show he felt uncomfortable. 

“No, Finn, I just know,” Obi-Wan said. “Because I know you. You never grew up as a Jedi, but you’re a Jedi in your bones. Master Qui-Gon knows it. That’s why he fought so hard for you to be able to train here. That’s why he’s happy to let you train Anakin until I’m ready to take my Trials of Knighthood. He knows you’re going to give Anakin the values a Jedi is supposed to have. He doesn’t have to worry about it.” 

Finn felt embarrassed, but he just nodded. “I found out that I was supposed to be promoted to an Officer’s position in the First Order. I would have if I could have killed the villagers. That was all I needed. But I’m still not sure how to take people telling me things like this.” 

“You need to learn,” Obi-Wan said. “You’re going to be hearing it more often.” He was smiling. 

Obi-Wan’s faith was as wonderful as it was terrifying. 

Obi-Wan was one of the most interesting teachers Finn ever had. On one hand he could be infinitely patient. On the other hand, Obi-Wan had so much faith in what Finn could do that Finn was pretty certain he would nearly kill himself trying to do something simply to not disappoint Obi-Wan. 

The aerials were probably how Finn would die. 

It wasn’t that it was impossible. It wasn’t. It was just that it went against everything Finn knew about the way bodies were supposed to move. He practiced really high jumping on Ahch-To. He and Rey even had jumping contests. But then jumping really high toward a different direction that wasn’t just up while posing his body in insane contortions while having a lightsaber on in his hand was really like making a bad bet with death. 

And Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon did it effortlessly. And Anakin was so excited to try. 

“I just want to know how to get blaster bolts through Kylo Ren’s shields and I’ll be happy,” Finn grumbled after he’d nearly thrown his back out when he landed wrong. 

“Get better technology,” Obi-Wan said with a smile that was far too bright for that hour of the morning. 

“I hate you so much,” Finn said. 

“I’m sure,” Obi-Wan said, just as cheerfully.

“I’m going to murder you in your sleep,” Finn said. 

“With how badly choreographed your movements are, he’ll see it coming a mile away,” said a voice that was becoming far too familiar. 

Finn didn’t even look at Master Windu. Mace Windu was simultaneously Finn’s hero and the person Finn wanted to see the least at a training session. While Obi-Wan only looked disappointed when Finn did something wrong and then made him do it over and over again, Mace Windu would make Finn break down every single wrong thing he’d done and then make him do everything over and over again.

“I’m pretty certain most Initiates don’t start moves that advanced after only three weeks,” Mace said. 

“Finn’s a quick study,” Obi-Wan said serenely. The first time Master Windu had fussed about the way he’d been teaching Finn, Obi-Wan had nervously (well as nervous as possible behind that mostly impervious mask of calm of his) explained his reasoning at length. Now he just fell back on his faith in Finn. Then Finn had to prove that Obi-Wan wasn’t wrong to trust him. 

If Finn didn’t know any better, he would swear that Obi-Wan and Mace Windu had planned all of this. 

“We used to practice against lightsaber techniques in the First Order. So we also had to learn how to fight like we had one. But we never included hopping around like we were in a circus.” Finn couldn’t keep the frustration out of his voice. 

“This First Order of yours sounds like they really wanted you prepared,” Mace said, raising an eyebrow. 

“You have no idea how many things we learned to fight against that don’t exist anymore in my time,” Finn said. He would milk the moment to have a chance to rest his back. 

“The Force moves in mysterious ways,” Obi-Wan said in a far too good imitation of his Master. 

“You’re starting to sound too much like Master Jinn,” Mace said, narrowing his eyes a bit. 

“I thought I was supposed to emulate my Master,” Obi-Wan said far too innocently. 

“With age comes wisdom that you don’t have yet,” Mace said. Obi-Wan at least looked chastised for a half second. “But it appears Padawan Kenobi is correct. If you had only had the scant training you informed us of, this would have been much more difficult.”

Finn nodded. “I understand. Trust the Force.” He turned back to Obi-Wan. “Let’s try this again.” 

Obi-Wan smiled one of those encouraging little smiles he always wore when Finn was trying something he’d just messed up thoroughly. 

Finn reset himself. He wasn’t doing a full Kata, merely trying to transition into an aerial trick that he’d been struggling with. He closed his eyes. The threads of the Force touched everything. That was how Master Jinn described it. Initiates would have their eyes and ears covered so they couldn’t see and hear and have to rely on the Force. 

For Finn it was so much easier to just watch the threads. The Kata were designed to work with the Force and the body of the Jedi. They were a conduit. That was how the Aerials were achieved. He took a deep breath. It wasn’t just seeing the threads, it was opening himself up to the feeling. He knew how to perform this. His body had almost gotten it more than once. At this point he just had to trust, like Obi-Wan said, that he could do this. 

He started in transition of the stance right before the aerial. Then he began to move. He bent his legs and jumped. He was allowing the force to move through him. There was a flow to this move. He raised his saber and twisted. He came down head first as he was supposed to. Then he twisted, following the flow of the threads of the Force. This move had been done billions of times before in this room. The Force knew what it was doing. 

He landed nimbly on his toes and sprung up into the next stance. Then he froze. He kept his eyes close for a moment before he opened them. He looked at Mace Windu and Obi-Wan. 

“Master Tahl would have liked you,” Obi-Wan said. Finn understood that was one off Jinn’s friends who had died, who’d learned how to do everything after she’d lost her sight. Finn felt a rush of pride and more than a little embarrassment at that comment. 

“Yes, you did it right. Now do it again,” Mace Windu said. 

Finn sighed heavily and settled back to the previous stance to begin again. He needed to learn to do this with his eyes open too. These two were going to kill him, Finn was certain they would if the aerials didn’t.

* * *

“Obi-Wan tells me you’re doing well with your lessons,” Jinn said with a smile that had too much humor. 

“I hate you all,” Finn said, trying not to groan. He sat down with his legs crossed on the floor. Jinn was on his knees, having just finished guided meditation with Anakin. Finn had passed Anakin on the way to his own lessons with Jinn.

“I’m sure,” Jinn said. 

“So, I have questions today,” Finn said. 

“You always have questions,” Jinn pointed out. Which was true. But normally they came after Finn had discussed a bit of philosophy, or after Finn had time to think about some philosophy overnight. 

“Yes, but these are about the future,” Finn said. He smirked. “Which I know is not your specialty. But I understand you’re a wise man, so you should be able to figure it out.” 

“I’d accuse you of spending too much time around Obi-Wan, but really that sounds more like something Ren would say.” 

“If he were talking to me,” Finn said. 

“If he were talking to you.” Jinn moved to sit with his legs crossed like Finn was. “Ask me your questions.” 

“When are you and Obi-Wan going back out in the field?” Finn asked. “And then what will my family do? I know you two are some of the most requested Jedi. You can’t stay here forever.” 

“Those are good questions,” Jinn said. “To begin with, I’ve already spoken with the other Masters. Master Windu and Master Yaddle agreed to take over for Obi-Wan and I. Master Yaddle will take my place and Master Windu will take Obi-Wan’s place.” 

“Great,” Finn said, trying not to be too unhappy. He was kind of excited to have time with just him and Mace Windu, even if he was certain that Mace Windu was going to run him into knots. He didn’t know Master Yaddle except that she was old and very wise. 

“And my friend Master Micah Giett agreed to take over a part of Anakin and Shmi’s education. And Master Eeth Koth has agreed to assist with the rest,” Jinn continued. 

“Oh, can I meet them at some point?” Finn asked. 

“You have already met Master Koth. He’s a member of the High Council. When it comes time to train Anakin, he will vote in our favor.” Jinn reached out to touch Finn. They had learned that he and Jinn could share images, but that Finn needed warning and touch to achieve it. 

Jinn gave him two images. One was Eeth Koth on the Council. The other was Micah Giett. 

“Alright. I’d still like a chance to meet them before you and Obi-Wan leave,” Finn said. “And I want Shmi and Anakin to meet them too.” He only saw Anakin and Shmi when they weren’t in lessons. Finn missed them, but they ran different schedules because they needed to learn different things and different paces. Still, Finn talked about his day and taught his family what he’d learned. And they taught him what they’d learned.

“Fair. You should also know that Obi-Wan is currently working on catching up with his own course work. So we’ll probably be here for a few more weeks until it can’t be put off any longer,” Jinn said. He seemed very relaxed. Finn was attuning to Jinn’s rhythms, enough that he was starting to be able to feel Jinn without having to close his eyes to see. Jinn was relaxing in the presence of the Force around him. Finn let out a breath and tried to follow Master Jinn’s example. 

Finn didn’t close his eyes. He needed to be able to clear away distractions while still remaining aware of his surroundings. He needed to be able to do this for when he was in battle. No one had said this specifically, but he was picking up ideas on his own. 

“You have other questions,” Jinn noted. 

“I think that you need to let Kylo Ren train too,” Finn said. 

Jinn didn’t let go of his calm, but there a light twitch of his brow. He was surprised by Finn’s words. “Why?” he asked. His tone was one only of curiosity. That was something Finn had learned about Qui-Gon Jinn. He would listen to Finn and consider his opinions and experiences. 

“The Kylo Ren I know has a temper longer than the trade routes. All Stormtroopers know that he lacks control. That when his temper snaps he’ll take it out on those around him, although that’s been mostly curbed to equipment on the ship. But still, you stay away,” Finn explained. 

“You think he needs more control?” Jinn asked. 

“I think that he’s a Grey Jedi. I think that his mother really, really thinks that he can be saved, even after he killed his own father, and other Jedi, and has done a lot of terrible things. And I think that if he has more exposure to the Light Side, that it can’t hurt us.” 

“Hmm, interesting,” Jinn said. He looked thoughtful. “You think he can be turned?” 

“Not exactly,” Finn said. “But I know that Ren loves. He has a man he loves, and he loves Anakin, even if he’s bad at showing it. I think he even loves his parents still in his own way. And Luke says that love can save. I don’t think that we can turn him. But I think we can nudge him in that direction. And I think him being locked up all the time isn’t good for his disposition. Also, I think it can’t hurt the Jedi to have more exposure to someone who uses the Dark Side.”

Jinn raised a brow. “You’re going to want to rephrase that last bit before you say it to other people.” 

“Sorry,” Finn said, working hard not to roll his eyes. “I know how the Jedi feel about purity.” He couldn’t keep the scorn out of his voice. “I mean that we need to know how to fight against Dark Side users. Ren isn’t Sith, which is an advantage for us because he’s willing to work with the Jedi. But the Jedi haven’t fought a Dark Side user, a true practitioner in Millennia. You need the practice.” 

Jinn looked thoughtful again. Finn didn’t push for an answer. He closed his eyes and allowed himself to observe the closest threads of the Force. Jinn would make a decision on his own. Until then, Finn was better to wait. 

“Your reasoning I sound,” Jinn said. Finn opened his eyes. 

“I thought you would say that,” Finn said. “Will you let me present my own reasoning, or do you need to discuss it?” 

“It would be better coming from me,” Jinn said. “Their trust of you is still shaky.” 

“What if I suggested it to Master Windu on my own?” Finn asked. “I think he’ll at least listen and be considering it. And then you won’t have to convince him on your own.” 

“I appreciate the sentiment, but this is one that needs to be addressed head on. I will explain it was your original idea,” Jinn said. “That will win some points. But I know how to talk to the Council.” 

“Obi-Wan said you get into shouting matches with them sometimes,” Finn said. He didn’t hold back his grin. 

“Not as often as people think,” Jinn said, sounding amused. 

“Obi-Wan said that too,” Finn said. “Can we talk about something else now?” 

“What do you want to talk about?” Jinn asked. “You clearly have many topics on your mind now.” 

“Yes,” Finn said. “Ren and I have decided we shouldn’t tell everything, but I think you need to know a few things as well… about the future.” 

“What in particular do you want me to know?” Jinn asked. “And why are you telling me?” 

“The Living Force. Obi-Wan said the Unifying Force is more popular… I don’t need whoever I tell getting caught up in the future right now. But I need someone besides me and Ren to know. Does that make any sense?” 

“It makes a lot of sense,” Jinn said. “Tell me.” 

“Well, let’s start with the Clone Wars,” Finn said. 

“Clone Wars,” Jinn said, raising a brow. 

“I don’t know how it all started exactly. But I know the battles we studied in the First Order. A lot of them were battles led by Jedi. I didn’t really realize at first. Ren said something about avoiding the Clone Wars. And I know they were a big deal. But I also don’t truly believe we can avoid everything, and I don’t know the Jedi like you do.” 

Jinn wore a very serious expression. “Tell me what you know.” 

“I know that Jedi were in charge of Units of Clones, that the Clone armor would be the template for the Stormtroopers, who were first a volunteer army and then an army based on kidnapped, brainwashed children. I know that I don’t know everything because what survived were accounts from men who would later be Imperialist Soldiers. And that they were fighting a group who wanted to become separate from the Republic.” 

Jinn nodded. “Do you know anything else?” 

“That I knew a lot of the names if I thought of them as General or Commander, not Master or Knight,” Finn said. 

“Who?” Jinn asked. 

“Obi-Wan, Ani, Plo Koon, Mace Windu, Eeth Koth… others. I think everyone was involved. And I realized that I did know the name Ahsoka Tano. But only by last name. She served in battles with Ani and Obi-Wan.” 

“But not me,” Qui-Gon said quietly. “Finn… I knew I didn’t survive the Purge. But I don’t make it to the Purge, do I?” 

“I don’t believe so. I think Ren knows when you die. But I don’t,” Finn said. He didn’t like the idea. He’d come to respect Master Jinn very much. Jinn understood the way Finn viewed the Force better than anyone else Finn had met yet. Obi-Wan listened, but he had such a rigid way of thinking that Finn wasn’t certain that he’d ever be able to get it. Even if Jinn couldn’t visualize the Force the way Finn did, he could still understand why Finn spoke the way he did. And Finn understood what Jinn was saying when he described the Force. 

“Looks like I need to have more than one discussion with Kylo Ren,” Jinn said, sitting back a bit. “It appears he is withholding much.” 

“And there’s a lot I’m not telling,” Finn said. “I just… someone else needs to know.” 

“When do the Clone Wars start? How do they start?” Jinn asked. 

“22 BBY,” Finn said. “And I don’t really know except that the Clone Army was made for the Jedi, and no, I don’t know by who.” 

"That's not a Calendar system I am familiar with."

Finn let out a frustrated sigh. "You can ask Ren." 

Jinn nodded. “If you can think of anything else, I’d like to know.” 

“Just battle break downs,” Finn said. “A lot of the records omitted the names of the Separatists. I don’t know who was in charge of anything. But I can show you battle maneuvers.” He’d memorized a lot of them. As a boy it had seemed like a fun game. It was different when he knew real people were involved. 

“Let’s hold off on that for now,” Jinn said. “If you do change things then we don’t want to be bound exactly by the knowledge of what might happen. Things change.” 

“That’s why I told you. I know you’d understand,” Finn said. 

“And now we should try to discuss what we are actually here to learn.” And just like that, Jinn slipped into the lesson like nothing had happened. 

Finn couldn’t shake the feeling that he’d done the right thing by telling someone.

* * *

Finn approached Ren’s room rather than going back to his own quarters. Ani and Shmi would be waiting for him. But they could wait a little longer. They would understand that he had something he needed to take care of. And in Finn’s experience, avoiding the problem wasn’t going to make it better.

The Guards let Finn inside. Ren should have been able to feel him coming anyway. Finn still wished he’d actually knocked. Once he was inside he could see Ren was already standing and glaring at him. Knocking wasn’t a courtesy extended to Stormtroopers. But Finn didn’t want to be the kind of person who treated others like that.

“We need to talk,” Finn said. 

“Are you breaking up with me?” Ren asked, lowering himself back onto his sofa. 

“I wish,” Finn said, rolling his eyes. He walked in and sat down across from Ren. “I told Jinn about the Clone Wars.” 

“We agreed to keep the future to ourselves,” Ren said. He was scowling. 

“Yeah, well, Jinn’s good at not getting caught up with the future. I don’t trust anyone else yet to tell them. And well… he dies before the Clone Wars, doesn’t he? In the old timeline?” 

“Yes,” Ren said. 

“Did Luke tell you?” Finn asked. 

Ren shook his head. “Temple Records. My Master sent me to find information… and well, I found a lot of things. He died in the battle against a Sith Apprentice named Darth Maul.” 

“When?” Finn asked. 

“32 BBY,” Ren said. 

"And what year is it now?" Finn asked. He had guessed they were about half a year into whatever year it was.

"33 BBY."

“That’s… Ren, that’s only months away,” Finn said, trying not to just shout. But the shock and worry still colored his voice. 

“I know,” Ren said, gritting his teeth. 

Finn took a deep breath, trying to calm himself. “I told Jinn you should train with us… We all need to be at our best, and you can’t do that if they keep you locked up at all times.” 

“He agreed to that?” Ren scoffed. 

“He agreed to ask,” Finn said. “And he agreed that it would be in the Jedi’s best interest to get a chance to fight someone who’s Dark Side.” 

“I’m not Sith,” Ren protested. 

“Yeah, but you’re still closer to Sith than the rest of them are. They need to get an idea of what they may be up against. Do you know anything about Maul?” 

“That he was tough enough that he survived being cut in half,” Ren said, leaning forward. “I think that he knows how to fight Jedi. I don’t think he knows how to fight someone like me.” 

Finn considered that. “Well, he might, but it would still be a surprise. What do we need to be on the lookout for?” 

“The Trade Federation blockading Naboo,” Ren said. “And keep this one to yourself. We don’t want to tip our hand to the Sith, understand?” 

“Got it,” Finn said. They could discuss the future again once they didn’t have to be so worried about Master Jinn dying. 

The pair of the lapsed into silence for a moment. Ren was looking away, lost in thought. It gave Finn a chance to observe Ren. He didn’t look good. It reminded Finn that Ren had been there almost three months and that he’d been isolated for most of it. 

“You should come to dinner with me,” Finn said. 

Ren’s head whipped up. “What?” 

“Ani and Shmi are your family too,” Finn said carefully. He could see the hardness in Ren’s eyes. Finn was getting annoyed that Ren was being such a jerk about them coming from the same family. “I know that you wanted Ani to be this big bad Sith, but he isn’t right now. He’s a kid who’s still trying to figure out what the world wants from him. He knows he’s meant for something big, but he doesn’t know what yet, and he isn’t exactly making friends yet, since most of the kids here have been friends for years and he’s separated because of lessons.” 

“None of this was supposed to happen,” Ren said. 

“Obviously, or we wouldn’t be here,” Finn said. He kept his temper, but just barely. 

“I… never was very good with children, even when I was one,” Ren said. 

“Well, Ani isn’t complicated,” Finn said. “Look… just come to dinner. Talk to him. I promise you that he’ll at least give you a chance if you’re not an ass 100% of the time.” 

“Why are you doing this for me?” Ren asked, quietly. 

“Because we are family, whether we like it or not. And because I know what Ani could become if he doesn’t have people who love him… your mother told me that they weren’t around enough for you… I don’t want that to happen to him, and I don’t want Ani to be afraid of his anger or is pain. I know how to ignore the Jedi when they get all up in arms about negative feelings. But he doesn’t yet. He needs to deal with his own pain and his anger for the pain he and his mother suffered. Otherwise it will eat him alive. Of that I am certain.” 

Ren chuckled darkly. “I don’t think I make a very good example for how to handle anger. Especially since you openly declared me as your enemy.” 

“Well, you can be an example of what not to do,” Finn said. Ren scowled. Finn smiled at him, just hoping to annoy Ren a little more. Ren stood up like he meant to walk away. “But,” Finn added quickly. “You’re also the one who surrendered yourself to an enemy to get a chance to save Anakin’s life… That’s not something someone who’s all the way evil does.” 

“So now you’re going to lecture me on good and evil?” Ren snapped. 

“No,” Finn said calmly. “I just thought you’d want a chance to get to know Anakin too. It’s not the way you wanted it. But Anakin is your grandfather.” 

“I have noticed,” Ren said, heavy sarcasm in his voice. 

“Then just come to dinner. Ani is curious about you too. You don’t want to disappoint him, do you?” 

It turned out that was the blow that Ren needed. Finn filed it away for later. Ren didn’t want to disappoint Anakin. He didn’t know if it was that Anakin would be Ren’s grandfather, or that Anakin was a kid, or even that Anakin was a kid who Ren was related to. It seemed silly for Finn to think it had anything to with a concept of childhood innocence, but Finn wasn’t going to question it too much.

Finn was able to get Ren out the door and down the hall toward the Skywalker Family’s quarters, their two guards trailing after them. 

Finn entered first. “We have a guest for dinner,” he called. 

“Is it Obi-Wan?” Anakin asked, sounding excited. He came running out of the kitchen. His excitement quickly dropped when he saw Ren. “Oh. Hello Mr. Ren,” he said. 

Finn could feel Ren withdrawing. Finn grabbed Ren’s arm and tugged him further inside. 

Shmi poked her head out of the kitchen. “I had a feeling I was going to need to make extra,” she said. “Ren, why don’t you come help me?” 

“What do you need?” Ren asked, pulling away from Finn. Finn shot Shmi a smile. Of course she’d know how to deal with an overgrown boy. 

“Did you used to help your mother with dinner?” Shmi asked. 

Ren snorted. “Please. My mother was a princess. She wouldn’t know what to do with a kitchen. My father did all the cooking.” 

“So you learned from your father?” Anakin asked. “What’s it like having a father?” 

“I found him disappointing,” Ren said. “You aren’t missing anything.” 

Finn had a feeling that wasn’t actually all that true. But it seemed to be the right thing to say to Anakin, who nodded and followed Ren and Shmi to the kitchen. Finn didn’t go to the kitchen because it wasn’t quite big enough for three adults and a child.

“So your mother was a General and a Princess?” Anakin asked. 

“Yes,” Ren said. “And she was generally very busy. I think you’re much luckier you have a mother who’s around and loves you.” 

“I’m certain your mother loves you,” Shmi said. 

“Not enough,” Ren said quietly. 

Finn winced. He wondered if this was a good idea for a moment. He got up to go try and diffuse the situation, but as he stood he saw that Shmi had wrapped her arms around Ren. She pulled back and placed a kiss on Ren’s cheek. 

“I understand that great grandmothers are here to spoil their great grandchildren. I hope you’ll forgive me,” she said. Finn didn’t even have to be close to her to see the mischief in her eyes. 

Ren was blushing. He scratched the back of his head. “Yeah… not a problem.” 

Anakin giggled. “Mom, you’re going to ruin dinner,” he said. 

“Go play with Finn,” Shmi said, nudging Anakin out to the living room. She winked at Finn. Finn grinned. Of course she’d know he was watching. 

“Come on, Kid. Tell me about what you learned today,” Finn said. “Ren needs Grandma-Time.” 

“Do you ever need Grandma-Time?” Anakin asked, walking over to Finn. Finn flopped back down on the sofa. Anakin crawled right into Finn’s lap and let Finn put his arms around him. 

“We have it all the time after you’ve gone to sleep,” Finn said. 

“Ren’s got a lot of dark in him,” Anakin whispered. 

“I know,” Finn whispered back. “Luke says the only way to beat darkness is love. And your mom is better at love than anyone I know.” 

“If anyone can help, she can,” Anakin said quietly. He nodded. Finn smiled, glad that Anakin had such faith in his mother. 

“How about you tell me how it went with Master Jinn?” Finn asked. Anakin’s chatter filled the room. Finn kept a low level monitor on the Kitchen. He couldn’t hear what Ren and Shmi were saying, but he could tell that Ren was feeling a lot of conflicted feelings, things that Shmi was working on soothing. 

Finn was astounded by how good she was. He knew that she knew why he hated Ren. But he also could see that the anger and hatred would hinder them while they were in this time. Shmi was trying to help. She was helping, Finn was certain. He had a little more hope for their future.


	6. Chapter 6

Master Jinn delivered on his promise to try and talk the Council into letting Ren train. He delivered on it even faster than Finn thought possible. Ren was invited to the training rooms within a week. Within a month, he had become a normal sight. 

Finn wasn’t really surprised as he thought he’d be to see how good Ren was at teaching. Ren lead the last of the Knights of Ren. He had to teach his followers, especially when he brought in a new member. And it turned out that Ren had apparently assisted Luke with practice when he’d been younger, before Ren had led the slaughter on Luke’s school. That was part of why Kylo Ren had been so effective at destroying the Jedi: he’d helped train most of the students, or at least fought with them on a regular basis. He knew their weaknesses. 

Finn tried to not let fear make him change his mind. Ren didn’t want the Purge of the Jedi. And there were more Jedi now than there had been when Ren had turned. 

But Ren was really, really good at getting Padawans furious. 

He hadn’t managed to get a rise out of the Masters, but he’d identified more than a few Padawans and a couple of Knights who needed to deal with their anger. That was where Finn helped out. He would take the affected Jedi aside and talk to them about what Ren had said that upset them so much. Often times he could get them calmed and thinking about their own problems before their Masters could come to talk to them. 

“You’re uncomfortably good at that,” Master Windu said after Finn had worked through an issue with a young Padawan who was afraid of not being good enough. The student had looked thoughtful when they wandered off. 

Finn shrugged and stood up. He spent most of his days in the training rooms now. As much as Master Jinn and Finn’s other tutors tried to drag Finn into other work, Finn found himself needed to be on hand to help people after Ren had kicked them around the training room.

“You realize that you’re still a Padawan yourself, right?” Master Windu asked. “And that you’re supposed to be focusing on your own studies as well.” 

“Can I say something?” Finn asked. He knew that Padawan’s weren’t really supposed to question the Masters. Jinn encouraged him asking questions, but Finn also knew that wasn’t true with every Master. And as much as Finn adored Mace Windu, Master Windu was a hard man who could be very tough. Finn didn’t want to appear disrespectful. 

“Would you like tea?” Master Windu offered. 

“Yeah,” Finn said. He cast a wary eye over to where Ren was standing. There were a number of Masters waiting to practice against him. Ren probably wouldn’t break anyone until Finn could get back to help. 

Finn allowed Master Windu to guide him toward his quarters. Finn hadn’t been to anyone’s quarters but his own, Ren’s and the Jinn/Kenobi household (as Finn liked to think of it.) He knew where Master Giett and Master Koth’s rooms were now. But he hadn’t been invited in. 

Jinn and Obi-Wan’s rooms were decorated with a number of knickknacks from their adventures. There were a number of things that Jinn kept that helped him meditate, even if he’d never say it outloud. Master Windu’s seemed a lot less scattered. His selection of furniture reminded Finn of things that were probably considered more ‘modern’. And his items from his adventures seemed to be organized by look, not just feel. Finn found he liked it. 

“You know that we do have other Jedi who can assist people Ren has gotten a rise out of,” Master Windu said, going to his kitchen. Finn followed after him. 

“I know. I just worry,” Finn said. 

“I noticed,” Master Windu said. “You don’t have to fix everything yourself, Finn. That isn’t your job.” 

“I know,” Finn said. 

“I don’t think you do,” Master Windu said. “There are a lot of us around to help out because we are all aware of what Kylo Ren can do now. And it’s better to know where our weaknesses are and deal with them.” 

“Is it?” Finn asked. There was an accusatory coloring to his words that he hadn’t meant to slip in. He didn’t make a face, but it was a close thing. 

Mace gave him a look. It wasn’t angry, but Finn took it as the warning it was. Master Windu respected that Finn knew a few things that Jedi normally didn’t. But Finn was still a student and Master Windu wasn’t going to be disrespected. 

But Finn also wasn’t going to apologize. 

“Why don’t you ask your question,” Master Windu suggested. 

“Okay,” Finn said. “Because it seems to me like the Jedi code doesn’t work. I understand why you want to purge all emotions. But it seems dangerous.” 

“Is that what your Master says?” Master Windu asked. 

“Luke… has a complicated relationship with the Code, because he didn’t learn it as you do here. He… he… look, there’s something I know, but I’m afraid to tell you, okay?” Finn admitted. “Because it affects someone I care about. But I’m also worried you won’t understand if I don’t tell you… And eventually you’re probably going to need to know. But not right now.” 

Mace Windu regarded him for a few moments. The silence stretched between them and for a while neither of them moved to fill it. Finn was waiting for something, but he had no idea what. And Master Windu was thinking. Finn didn’t interrupt that.

“If I promise to keep it to myself for now?” Master Windu offered. 

“I’d need you to promise to not act on it right now,” Finn said. “Please. I know what happens can be fixed. I know there’s hope. I don’t want anyone reacting badly yet. Please.” 

Master Windu nodded. “I can agree to that. Go sit, the tea will be ready in a moment.” 

Finn went to sit at the kitchen table. He accepted the cup of tea that Master Windu put into his hands and waited for his host to sit down. Finn also took a sip of tea, giving himself an extra moment of time. 

“Tell me what you need to tell me,” Master Windu instructed. 

“Okay, so the thing is that Luke and General Organa were separated as children. They didn’t find each other until they were adults… and it’s because their father had turned. It was to protect them.” 

“Anakin?” Master Windu asked, his nostrils flaring with a bit of anger. 

“Yes. Luke said that the Sith used Anakin’s love against him because he’d had to keep it hidden from the Jedi. And Luke told me that after it had come out that he and Anakin were related, that the Sith tried to use that love to keep Anakin to heel. And it worked for a time… but then it came out that Luke had a sister…” 

Finn was starting to babble and talk too fast. He took a deep breath, then a sip of tea. Once he’d swallowed he took another breath. 

“Luke explained that the only time he ever got close to turning was when the Sith threatened his sister. He said he nearly killed his father then. But then he realized what he was doing and stepped back. He didn’t have a lot off training then. I mean he had some, but not like all this here… and the Sith decided if Luke couldn’t be turned then he needed to die. But he misunderstood just how strong Anakin’s love went. Anakin died protecting Luke. His love for his son brought him back.” 

Master Windu had a very serious expression on his face. 

“You know you’ve told me something very dangerous,” Master Windu said. 

“I know,” Finn said. “But I needed you to understand why I’m going to stand by what I think. Rey didn’t even have training, but she was able to beat Kylo Ren in a fight because I’d gotten hurt and she wanted to save me. Love is stronger than the Darkness.” 

“And it can also drag you into it,” Master Windu said. 

“Which is why Luke doesn’t discourage Rey and I. He just tries to prepare us for the fact that we may lose each other. He doesn’t discourage how we feel, that we feel. I have a lot of hurt and anger and so does Rey. She was abandoned and raised herself. If we ignore it, it can eat at us. But if we use it, not to fight, but to remind us of who we don’t want to be… then it works for us, without shoving us into the Dark Side. And it’s not perfect, but I can’t walk away from it because it’s part of how I keep my own balance.” 

Master Windu let out a heavy sigh. “You don’t make it easy on us, do you?” 

“That’s not my job. My job is to try and save people,” Finn said. 

“But not everyone,” Master Windu said. “Master Jinn noted that you distrust the Order. This is part of it, isn’t it? That we cut ourselves off from emotions?” 

“In part…” Finn clicked his tongue nervously. “General Hux… the man who runs the First Order, his father built the Stormtrooper program. And I’m certain now that it’s based on the Jedi. And that frightens me. I try not to let it, but I’m worried that even though I’m serving the Light that I’m actually doing something awful by helping the Jedi Order.” 

To Finn’s surprise, Master Windu smiled. “Now that I know how to deal with. Finn, you just described to me a system of belief based not on absolutes but intent, balance and knowledge of self. That’s what your Master trained you to learn. And then you told me about an Order that used some of the Jedi’s methods, but in order to build an army of soldiers who had no ability of even thinking that something was wrong.” 

Finn nodded. “Yes, that’s exactly what the First Order is about.” 

“This First Order took our ways out of context. Let me put it to you another way: taken out of context, your ideas about using your emotions sound very much like a Sith way of thinking. But it isn’t, because you work hard to not get lost in your emotions. What you can’t release, you rechannel the energy to something you know is positive. And you seek out information and knowledge of yourself.” 

Finn felt his face get hot. It sounded really good when Master Windu explained it like that. Like Finn was doing something really Jedi-like. Even for all of Finn’s fears, he did want that. It was like when Jinn said he would make a good Jedi, or when Obi-Wan said it. He was so different than yet three men that Finn respected told Finn he was one of them. 

“The First Order removed the context,” Master Windu continued. “They removed the search for self. They removed the parts where we do value the individual and life itself. We don’t take a life easily. But if it has to be done, it’s better someone who understand the consequences. I am learning even now that our Order isn’t perfect. Your presence here proves that. And I’m going to be meditating on what you’ve told me for a long time. But we aren’t an Order who steals children and forces them to kill for an army. We raisedchildren who are given to us to learn about themselves and the Force. We teach obedience so that they will do what they need to until they can develop enough to make their own judgements on what we teach. Because we want them to think. We discuss complex truths that even we don’t always understand. It’s a very in-depth education. And we aren’t run by an Officer far off. We run ourselves.” 

Finn nodded. “That helps a little. But I think I need to think about it too.” 

“I know why you’re afraid,” Master Windu said. 

“I don’t think you’re bad people,” Finn said. “But I also don’t want to believe so quickly and get trapped following the wrong path again. I need to think about it.” 

“Meditate on it,” Master Windu instructed. He took a big sip of his tea. 

“I will,” Finn said quickly. 

“And stop trying to protect every Padawan and Knight from us. I know that’s what you’re doing. You’re protecting your fellow soldiers,” Master Windu said. 

Finn grimaced a bit. “I… used to do that with my unit. Slip would mess up and I’d try to help.” 

“And that’s fine,” Master Windu said. “We should help each other. But you don’t need to protect them from us. We’re there to help too. And you’re hurting yourself because you’re letting your training lapse when you loiter around to protect other Padawans.” 

Even Finn’s ears felt hot. “I’m sorry, Master Windu. I didn’t even realize. I’ll do better.” 

“Caring isn’t a weakness, Finn,” Master Windu said. He was smiling a little. “But you need to trust that we’re going to take care of our own. You’re allowed and encouraged to talk to someone if you think there’s something wrong. But it’s not your place to try and fix it all on your own. It will only hurt you.” 

“Alright,” Finn said. He was still a little embarrassed, but Master Windu’s assurance that Finn wasn’t in trouble for helping, only that he needed to focus on himself more did more to soothe Finn’s fears about the order than Master Windu’s explanations about how First Order and the Jedi Order were different. 

Finn could see the difference, and that settled a lot of his fear.

* * *

Anakin turned nine with little fanfare. Ren and Obi-Wan had scrounged together a lot of the pieces for Anakin to finish building C3PO. Finn and Ren debated about if they should actually plate him in gold or if they should try another color. Finn insisted that gold was traditional and Ren said any other metal would look better, which was probably true. But Finn couldn’t imagine C3PO any other way. 

In the end, Anakin won. He was nine and thought that gold was beautiful and would make him an attractive gift for his mother. And Finn had encouraged him. Finn didn’t think that Shmi really was ever going to thank Finn for that. She had secretly sided with Ren about black or silver being better colors. 

C3PO was officially gifted to Shmi when her birthday came around. Finn got her a plant. 

Finn was a little embarrassed to realize that even Shmi and Anakin knew when their birthdays were, but Finn had no idea about his own. He just decided to not worry about it. Which was probably why he was surprised when a few weeks later he returned to their quarters to find that Shmi and Anakin had put together a small party for him as well. 

They’d figured it out without him saying anything.

The week of Finn’s Birthday Party was also the week that Qui-Gon showed Finn how to make a lightsaber. Finn didn’t want to get a new one. Luke’s Lightsaber meant a lot to Finn. He felt strongly attuned with it. But he also saw the importance of being able to make his own, do his own maintenance and repair. And maybe he could help Luke and Rey make a lightsaber that Rey was more attuned to when he got back. 

It shocked Finn one day to realize he’d been away from Luke and Rey for almost a year. He didn’t go to lessons that day. Obi-Wan and Master Jinn were off world. Finn sat with Master Giett who was still on bedrest after a bad injury. They had spent the day talking about those they had lost. Master Giett talked a lot about Tahl, and Finn talked a lot about Rey. But they talked about other people too. Finn talked about his unit and his grief for Zeros at being alone. 

Master Giett got Finn drunk, told Finn to call him Mic, and let Finn sleep on his sofa. 

Time passed quickly. Finn was busy. He had people to look after, including Kylo Ren. It was such an odd truth that Finn just tried not to think about it.

One day when nothing of supposed import was happening, Kylo Ren sent a message to Finn, requesting his presence. 

Obi-Wan and Jinn were off world again, on a mission that they hadn’t really explained to Finn. They did that a lot. Finn was and was not one of them. Sometimes he got information and sometimes he didn’t. He had enough back-up teachers that if any of them were away on mission he could continue to study. 

Worst came to worst, he and Ren would go at each other for a few hours in the training room. Occasionally they’d tag team and fight someone else. Finn would tell people that had gotten pretty good at team matches, if anyone had bothered to ask him. 

Finn wasn’t exactly excited about going to see Ren, but he wasn’t exactly dreading it either. They had a working relationship.

Finn went to Ren’s room, knocked and entered. Ren still had two guards at his door when he was in residence. And he always had at least on Jedi with him, but in the temple, which was crawling with Jedi, as long as he wasn’t alone, Ren had the ability to move around with some sense of freedom. He wasn’t allowed anywhere near the Creche, though. Finn was in full support of that particular stipulation. Ren was never really alone with Anakin either, since Shmi or Finn was almost always with Anakin when Ren was around. 

“You’re on time,” Ren said when Finn stepped in the room. 

“Because I’m well known for being late,” Finn said, rolling his eyes. “What do you need?” 

“I sent Jinn with the last of your Mythra coins,” Ren said. He was moving around the room, putting things on the table. They looked like Ren’s Knight of Ren clothes. That was definitely the helmet. 

“Why?” Finn asked, walking over to the table. He noticed quickly that there was other armor on the table as well. His stomach dropped out. It was black Stormtrooper armor. Where in the world had Ren gotten that?

“Because this is the mission Qui-Gon Jinn dies on if we aren’t very careful,” Ren said. 

“And you sent them off alone?” Finn snapped. 

“They’ll be back before they need us,” Ren said. “Look, talking to Force Ghosts was something I was good at when I was a kid. I remember Jinn back when he was blue and see through. This is the mission he would have found Anakin on.” 

“Which means Tatooine,” Finn said. “Where they don’t accept Republic Credits.” 

“Exactly,” Ren said. He picked up the black Stormtrooper helmet and put it in Finn’s hands. “And that’s where this comes in.” 

“Where did you even get this?” Finn asked. It was smooth and shiny and looked exactly like the type that Finn used to wear. 

“I made it,” Ren said. “Jinn and Obi-Wan will come back with Queen Amidala of Naboo.” Ren went back to arranging the armor he’d put on the table. “Who will be Anakin's wife one day, by the way, so we need to make sure she and Ani at least meet once.” 

“Noted,” Finn said. He slipped the helmet on. It fit nearly perfect. The view screen showed a connection to one person, noted at KR-001. Finn took the helmet off, thinking that Ren was an absolute ass. 

“And then we’re going back to Naboo. I’m not sending Jinn and Obi-Wan to face a Sith Apprentice on their own. But I don’t want the Sith Lord to know the Jedi are onto him.” 

“Why?” Finn asked. 

“Because the Emperor wins his place by destabilizing the Republic and seeding false stories about the Jedi. He his work is subtle. And he’ll try to get rid of any Jedi who get too close to figuring out who he is. But if we appear to be other Dark Side users.” 

“We?” Finn asked. 

“Yes,” Kylo Ren said. “We. You’re the only one I can trust with this. We can fight together. We have a couple of days. I need you to build a lightsaber with a synthetic kyber crystal like I have. Whatever tapes there are of what happens, it needs to show to Dark Side users. Understand?” 

“Yes,” Finn said, he nodded. “You think this will work?” 

“A Jedi Master, two apprentices and a Knight of Ren against one Sith? Even one as strong as Darth Maul? We have numbers on our side and we’re going to want them.” 

Finn wasn’t certain he agreed, but he decided not to argue on that particular point. “And we aren’t telling the Council that I’m sneaking you out?” 

“No,” Ren said. 

“I think we need to,” Finn said. “At least tell someone. Look, we’ve been working with them for a while. And your plan is actually good. If we tell them then they might be able to help us plan.” 

“They’re not going to let me go,” Ren said in frustration. 

“And what if they catch us trying to sneak out and keep us from going?” Finn asked. 

“And if they forbid us?” Ren demanded. 

“Then I’ll talk to Jinn and see if he can sneak us out. And if he can’t… well, we’ll blunt force our way out. But we should at least give them the option of helping us. It’ll be easier if they agree with us. That was the point, wasn’t it? To stop the Sith’s plan. Can’t really do that all by ourselves and you know it,” Finn argued. 

Ren looked like he was seething. But he wasn’t attacking and he wasn’t breaking anything. Finn gave him a cool, impassive stare. 

“Fine,” Ren snapped. “Are you going to try and get the Council together?” 

“Oh, no way,” Finn said. 

“Then what?” Ren asked. 

“Trust me,” Finn soothed. “Now… let’s get this whole evil lightsaber thing done.” He needed practice building a lightsaber anyway.

* * *

“I hope you didn’t merely invite us here for tea,” Eeth Koth said, accepting the cup from Finn. “Your tea making skills aren’t really something I would suggest showing off.” 

“I’ve gotten better,” Finn said. “One of Obi-Wan’s lessons.” 

“Thank the Force,” Eeth said with an almost smirk. 

“Are you going to tell us why you invited us here?” Mace asked. Finn normally didn’t invite any of them into his home. Mace knew that Eeth had offered to stop by more than once, but Finn generally kept everyone out. Everyone but Obi-Wan Kenobi, Qui-Gon Jinn and Kylo Ren. And Mace knew those three were really there to visit Shmi or Anakin Skywalker, not Finn. 

Mace had a moment where he wondered if he should worry about Finn not making connections of his own, but he dismissed it quickly. Finn had Shmi and Anakin Skywalker. He was close with Obi-Wan in the way two students, or a student and a tutor could be. Mace knew that Finn spent time with Micah Giett, and clearly he was comfortable enough with his other teacher Eeth Koth to invite him to his home. Master Yaddle spoke very well of Finn as well.

But then there was Yoda. 

Finn had invited three of them to his quarters when Anakin and Shmi were away. Mace understood himself and Master Koth, since both of them had spent significant time with Finn. But as far as Mace knew, Yoda had only been in the same room with Finn the time Finn allowed Yoda to view his memories. 

Finn pressed a last cup into Yoda’s hands and then sat down at the table across from them. 

“I need the Council’s help with something,” Finn said. “And no one’s going to like it.” 

“Here for you to convince us, we are,” Yoda said, sounding amused. He took a sip of his tea, seeming unbothered. 

“Kylo Ren has a plan,” Finn said. “And information. He said this is the mission Qui-Gon Jinn dies on. Because of a Sith Apprentice.” 

Finn went silent for a moment. Mace glanced at Eeth, who glanced back. Mace knew Finn was trying to get ready for something, possibly multiple somethings. Finally the first change in time had arrived. 

“It’s not proper to tell us this in a small group,” Eeth said. 

“I know, but this is really time sensitive. I don’t have time to convince everyone,” Finn said. “When Obi-Wan and Master Jinn get back they’re going to have the Queen of Naboo with them. The Trade Federation has an army of droids, and they’re going to try and force the Queen to sign the Trade Agreement. They won’t succeed, but if you only send Obi-Wan and Master Jinn back with her, then Master Jinn is going to die.” 

“Certain, Kylo Ren is?” Yoda asked. 

“Ren said he watched the video on the duel himself. He’s certain. He also said that he thinks he and I will be enough to throw a wrench into the Sith’s plans. He wants us to disguise ourselves as other Dark Side users and to lay a trap for the Sith Apprentice.” 

“Agreed to do this, you already have,” Yoda said. He was looking intently at Finn. So was Eeth. 

“You could die too,” Mace pointed out. Finn had improved a lot, but he only had a year of real training. And Kylo Ren was a wild card on a good day. 

“Soldiers can always die,” Finn said, dismissive. Mace grit his teeth. One day one of them were going to get it through Finn’s thick skull that he wasn’t disposable. 

“It’s a risk to let Kylo Ren out of the Temple,” Eeth said. Mace could see the considering look on his face, though. Kylo Ren had been helpful to them so far. The practice all of them had gotten off of facing him could prove to be invaluable. 

“We know,” Finn said. “That’s why I’m telling you all first. We don’t want the Sith to know that the Jedi know he exists yet. He plans to reveal his existence soon, of course. But if Ren and I appear to be other Dark Side users who come through and attack his Apprentice. Then what?” 

“I’d be very confused if I were him,” Eeth said. 

“Chaos,” Finn said with a smirk. “And in our favor, because we’re causing it. The best part is that Ren and I will be disguised. He won’t know who or what we are. There’s no way for him to have accounted for us. And no way for him to know what two Dark Side users who appear to be neither for or against him will do.” 

“It’s a well thought out plan,” Mace said. 

“His mother is a General,” Finn said. “And I agreed because I want to help with this. Master Jinn is a good man. He’s my teacher, and Anakin’s too. I don’t want anything to happen to him.” 

“Do you know how much time we have?” Eeth asked. 

“Not a lot,” Finn said. “I’ll say everything I just said to the Council if you need to me.” 

“We don’t,” Mace said. He took a ship of his tea. He was pleased to realize that Finn had searched out his favorite and tried to make it the way Mace liked it. “I’ll approve you and Kylo Ren for this mission. What do you need?” 

“A ship, small and fast,” Finn said. “We can take care of the rest.” 

“Granted,” Mace said. 

“Mace, are you certain?” Eeth asked. 

“This is an imminent threat to one of our own. We know that the Force sent these two to make certain that there are more than three Jedi in the universe. This needs to be done,” Mace said. And he had the power to do it. It was just not going to make the other Council members happy. They could have a lot of arguments once Finn and Ren were gone. 

“Agree, I do,” Yoda said. “Bleak, the future is.” He took a sip of his tea. The speech gave his speech levity. When Mace was younger he’d been so impressed with his Master’s way of drawing attention. But as he’d gotten older he’d learned a few of Master Yoda’s tricks. Still, knowing didn’t make it less effective. “Darkness I saw. Unnecessary it is for that future to exist. Trust, Finn Skywalker offered us. Trust we must now offer him.” 

Finn looked very pleased. “Thank you, Master Yoda.” 

“Agree with you, you knew I would,” Yoda said, narrowing his eyes a bit. 

“I had a feeling,” Finn said. He was smiling just a little bit. 

“Will you tell us more of the plan?” Eeth asked. He had moved from sounding nervous to sounding curious. 

“We’re going to do our best to sneak past the blockade,” Finn said. “And we have a plan for that too. Ren’s father was one of the best smugglers in the Universe. Ren explained that part to me, but piloting isn’t really my specialty, at least not enough to explain it to you. Just trust me that it will work.” 

“So, you get there,” Mace urged. 

“And we’ll be changed and waiting for them. The Apprentice led Obi-Wan and Master Jinn away from the Queen and her escort before. We’ll be waiting for them, and then the Apprentice is going to have more opponents. But we’ll make it seem like a free for all. So we’ll tell Obi-Wan and Master Jinn about us being there, because we’ll be fighting them too, but for the sake of appearances.” 

Mace nodded. He could picture it in his mind. They’d seen Kylo Ren in his Sith outfit, with the helmet. He was tall, broad and powerful. He was a terrifying figure. And if Finn was dressed up in any way similar, it truly would throw chaos into the mix. 

A part of Mace wanted to shoot down the idea. Jedi brought peace, not chaos. Chaos was the Sith’s trade. But another part of Mace felt deeply satisfied to cause as many problems and headaches for the Sith as possible. Kylo Ren’s plan had the potential to force the Sith to chase his own tail. 

“We end with the Apprentice dead,” Finn said. 

“And how will you get out?” Eeth asked. “Of the fight.” 

“We have a couple of plans, depending on how injured any of us are,” Finn said. “Trust that we won’t blow our cover, though.” 

“Alright,” Mace said. He drained the last of his tea and put the cup down. “We need to make preparations. We’ll tell the rest of the Council after this matter is finished.” 

“Thank you,” Finn said. “I’d also like to request something from you, Master Windu.” 

“Something else?” Mace asked, raising a brow. He felt a bit of humor in the pit of his stomach, even though his tone was humorless. 

“If we fail… if something happens to us, please will you take Anakin as your Padawan?” Finn asked. His tone, his expression, all of his body was full of earnest implore.

“You were told that we wouldn’t accept Anakin as that kind of student,” Eeth said. He wasn’t happy. He’d supported teaching Anakin and had been the voice that helped to lead the compromise that would allow Anakin some education. 

“Master Jinn has already decided that when Obi-Wan has completed his trials that he’ll take on Anakin,” Finn said. “If a Master takes a Padawan, then no one can separate them. Anakin and Shmi are only still here because they’re my family and I know that I’m a special case… but if something happens to me, Ren and Master Jinn, then what? I need them to be safe. And Anakin needs to be here.” 

And Mace knew why. Finn had told him exactly why. Finn had trusted Mace with the truth about Anakin and his fall. And he’d trusted Mace to not try and send Anakin away, which Mace could have done in the position of power he held. 

Now Finn was trusting Mace to take care of Anakin and raise him to be the kind of man who wouldn’t turn. Mace felt overwhelmed with the trust Finn Skywalker had in him. Their teaching and way of thinking were so different. In many ways, Qui-Gon was more suited to a student like Anakin. 

But that was why Qui-Gon was the first choice. And Finn believed that Mace would take care of Anakin, allow him to deal with his emotions, his love and hatred and still learn how to set aside those things for the sake of the Light. 

Mace let out a heavy sigh. “You make it very hard to say no.” 

“Then don’t say no,” Finn said. His tone was soft, but still very firm. He wouldn’t accept that Anakin might be turned out. And Mace could assure Finn that Anakin wouldn’t be sent away. But the boy was already here and already learning. Yes, he was old for an Initiate, but Finn and Rey and his Master Luke had all been way older when they’d started their training. 

“Alright,” Mace said. “If you and Qui-Gon come back dead, then I’ll train Anakin.” 

Finn looked so relieved. “Thank you,” he said. 

And Finn had made certain there were witnesses. Eeth Koth was not going to let Mace forget if he tried to wriggle out of keeping his promise. And Yoda wouldn’t either, simply because Mace had given his word. 

But Mace wouldn’t go back on his word. He just wished that Finn had been in the crèche. Mace wouldn’t trade his relationship with Billaba Depa for anything, but Mace could also wish that he’d been able to have Finn as his Padawan. He was bright with the Force, but also bright with love and hope. 

Mace didn’t know when he’d allowed himself to become so jaded, and he knew he would never put aside the strength the indifference could provide him. But he could see now that he also needed to allow himself to be more open. Anakin could be an amazing Jedi. He created amazing people. Finn was proof off that. Mace needed to hold onto that hope. 

“I have preparations to make,” Mace said as he stood up. “Thank you for the tea.” 

“Thank you for stopping by, Master Windu,” Finn said with a cheerful smile. 

Mace smiled back. Really, it was impossible not to tell that Finn was related to Anakin when he smiled like that.


	7. Chapter 7

Obi-Wan hated this mission. Everything had gone ass over elbows since the very beginning. The blockade. The droid army. Jar Jar Binks and the entire Gungan debacle. At least they had managed to rescue the Queen and her entourage, and get them off Naboo. Of course nearly crash landing on Tatooine was not Obi-Wan’s idea of a good time. The only thing that got them off the sand planet was that Kylo Ren had shoved a bag with Mythra coins into Master Qui-Gon’s hands before they left, saying he had a feeling they might need it. 

And then the Sith.

Really, after seeing the imposing Zabrak, Obi-Wan finally understood what Ren meant about not being Sith. The feel was very different. Sith were darker. They felt corrupted almost. Kylo Ren was dark. He was filled with anger. He was cruel. But he also still had light in him. He actually had helped the Jedi, after all.

Obi-Wan was just so happy to be almost home. When they’d made contact with the Temple they’d been instructed to come to the Temple first. Obi-Wan wasn’t going to complain. He really wanted to go sleep for a week, but they needed to tell the Council about the Sith, and they needed the Queen and her entourage to be safe. 

The ship landed easily at the Temple landing pad. 

“The Queen wants to know if we’re going to be here long,” Padme, one of the Queen’s handmaidens asked. 

“I don’t know,” Obi-Wan said. “But I don’t think so. I imagine they want to send others with us to escort you to the Senate.” 

Padme nodded. “I’ll inform the Queen,” she said and slipped away. 

It didn’t take long before they were disembarking. Obi-Wan half expected to see a greeting party from the Council. Instead he simply saw Finn. Obi-Wan let out a heavy sigh. It felt like a weight was lifted off his shoulders to see his friend there. 

“Welcome back,” Finn said. He bowed to the Queen when she stepped off the ship. “I’m Finn Skywalker, I’m to be your escort for the moment.” 

“It is imperative that I be taken to the Senate,” the young Queen said in her normal monotone. 

“You will be,” Finn said. “There’s a matter that must be discussed with your escorts. You’ll be offered a room temporarily if you wish you change and rest.” 

“What’s going on, Finn?” Master Qui-Gon asked. 

Finn held up a hand. “Let’s get our guests settled,” he said. 

Master Qui-Gon didn’t argue. The Queen didn’t look happy, but she and her entourage were led to a room. Finn assured them that it would only be a couple of hours and then they would be escorted to the Senate. 

Once they had freed themselves from the people they were escorting, Obi-Wan felt a bit lighter. 

“Something has happened?” Obi-Wan asked. 

“Did you meet the Sith Apprentice while you were away?” Finn asked. 

“Yes,” Master Qui-Gon said, raising his brow. 

“Then we have much to discuss,” Finn said. He hustled them off not to the Council chamber, but to Master Windu’s rooms. Neither Obi-Wan nor Master Qui-Gon said anything as comment. But they let Finn guide them into the room. 

Master Windu and Master Billaba were in the room. 

“This isn’t the Council,” Master Qui-Gon said. 

“Good observation, Master Jinn,” Master Billaba said, sarcasm rich in her voice. 

“We’ll go there next,” Master Windu said. His hands were folded into his robes. “Where you will report on exactly how your mission went. But we’re informing you of something first.” 

“Which is?” Mast Qui-Gon asked. 

“I have already approved a contingent to go with you,” Master Windu said. “Finn Skywalker and Kylo Ren will head to Naboo before you return with the Queen. We are already aware of the Sith.” 

“As are we,” Master Qui-Gon said. “He appeared on Tatooine.” 

“Kylo Ren is certain that the Sith will appear again on Naboo,” Master Billaba said. “Master Windu has agreed to his and Padawan Skywalker’s plan.” 

“Are they going to be back up?” Obi-Wan found himself asking. 

“Not exactly,” Finn said with a wry smile. “We’re going to pretend to be Dark Side users as well. It will make the fight complicated, and you and Master Jinn will need to fight us as well. But it will confuse the Sith, which is what we need.” 

“Is that why we’re not having this meeting in the Council Chambers?” Master Qui-Gon asked. 

“None of this is official, although the entire Council either has or will be informed of the plan outside of the Council Chambers,” Master Billaba said. She didn’t exactly look happy about it. 

“Who else knows about this?” Master Qui-Gon asked. 

“That is not your worry right now,” Master Windu said. “That is my job for the moment. When you all return, we will discuss the rest. For now, your focus will be your current mission and being prepared for the fight ahead.” 

Master Qui-Gon looked thoughtful. “Alright.” He folded his hands into his robes as well. There wasn’t much discussion after that. There wasn’t much more to be said at that moment that couldn’t wait until after they met with the Council.

* * *

Obi-Wan decided that he hated the plan almost instantly. He’d gotten only a short time to practice with Finn before the Senate voted to get rid of Chancellor Valorum. Kylo Ren took that as a sign for him and Finn to go. Obi-Wan saw them off. The ship they’d been given was barely a puddle jumper. He had no idea how it was even going to make it to Naboo. Finn had smiled at him and assured him that the size was what was important about it. Small, to sneak through the Blockade. 

Then Obi-Wan got swept up on a whirlwind of planning and things to do. They would be facing a Sith. They would be facing an army of droids. Obi-Wan couldn’t help but be frustrated. If Kylo Ren had known what they were facing, why hadn’t he insisted on more Jedi support? It was all well and good for the Sith to be confused, but what good would it do if Obi-Wan and his Master ended up dead? 

Even getting help from an army of Gungans didn’t ease the bad feeling that Obi-Wan couldn’t seem to shake. The feeling was practically vibrating down his bones by the time they arrived at the Palace. He let out a breath, trying to release his fear to the Force. 

Instead it opened him up to the knowledge of someone familiar being there. “Anakin?” Obi-Wan spluttered, he looked up, seeing the boy sitting in a ship. 

“What are you doing here?” Master Qui-Gon demanded. 

“Ren said it was important,” Anakin said. “He also told me to stay in this ship.” 

The droid in the plane, the R2 unit that had repaired their ship during their escape to Tatooine, was sitting in the back of the ship. It whistled something rather loudly. 

“Artoo says he’s looking after me,” Anakin translated for them. 

“Just stay in the ship,” Master Qui-Gon said with an annoyed growl. He started walking again, Obi-Wan at his heels. 

/ _What was he thinking bringing an untrained child to this fight?/_ Master Qui-Gon growled across their link. His face was set in a determined frown. 

/ _That he knows better than we do._ / Obi-Wan replied. / _I hope he’s right. He would never willingly put Anakin in danger._ /

/ _He just did._ / Master Qui-Gon responded. 

After that they didn’t have time to worry about Anakin. Just as predicted, the Sith was waiting for them. 

The fight was exhausting. The Sith was good. The Sith very good. It took both Master Qui-Gon and himself to match one Sith Apprentice. And he was smart. As much as they were beating the Sith back, the Sith was also leading them away from the Queen and her entourage. If the Sith could separate them for even a moment, they were in trouble. Which is what the Sith kept trying to do. 

He would toss them aside, and the environment of the Naboo palace provided many places for either Jedi to fall off. Clearly the Sith knew the environment to some degree. He ended up leading them to a side room, a reactor or an incinerator, Obi-Want wasn’t certain which but neither did he care. 

His Master was ahead of him. They were separated by a number of cycling force fields. Only one force field separated the Sith and his Master. His Master dropped into meditation, which Obi-Wan knew was smart, but Obi-Wan was struggling to maintain his calm. He needed to get through the fields as fast as he could before they cycled again. There was no way he could make it through them all.

He felt a dark ripple through the Force. The fields cycled off. Master Qui-Gon was up and fighting the Sith. Both of them headed to the room at the end of the hall. Obi-Want took off. He made it to the last field before he had to stop. That was when he got a good look at what was going on.

There weren’t just the Sith and his Master in the room. For a moment Obi-Wan felt panic rise in his chest. Three Sith? Three figures in black with red lightsabers? It took him a moment before his sense caught up to him. It was the red saber with the two vent ports that made him realize the truth. 

He had seen Kylo Ren in his full dark garb and helmet only once, and he hadn’t been fighting. But Obi-Wan had fought Kylo Ren many times in the Training Salle. But seeing him fighting to kill was totally different. He was bigger and broader than any of them in that outfit. He had a brutal fighting style. He was striking at the Sith over and over, driving him around the room. 

And Finn- 

Well, Obi-Wan had never seen that type of armor before, but it was as all black as Ren’s robes. Finn wasn’t fighting with just a lightsaber, but with a blaster in his other hand. He was fighting Master Qui-Gon, shooting at him constantly. Obi-Wan could see how both Ren and his Master were directing the bolts, causing chaos in the room, directing shots toward the Sith who was suddenly having to fight a powerful unknown opponent while ducking blaster fire coming from all directions.

The fields cycled down and Obi-Wan ran into the fray. He threw out a hand, shoving Finn backwards before Obi-Wan ran to join the fight against the Sith. 

It was different fighting the Sith and Ren. For one, while Obi-Wan had become familiar with the rhythm of Kylo Ren, Obi-Wan could also tell that Ren held back when he was sparring with the Jedi. He was so much brunt force now. But he was also intelligence. He saw how he worked with Master Qui-Gon to aim blasts at the Sith and yet seem random. 

With Obi-Wan in the fight, he would be fighting the Sith with Ren. They’d push him back and then have to go on attacking each other. And it had to look real. 

At one point both Obi-Wan and the Sith were attacking Kylo Ren at the same time. 

Finn broke into their fight, coming to protect Ren. He fired at the Sith from close range, which the Sith deflected, and Obi-Wan had to deflect again to keep from getting hit. That was when Master Qui-Gon caught up. Obi-Wan could feel his Master and Kylo Ren fighting nearby, but Obi-Wan had to focus on fighting the Sith. 

Finn was shockingly good at one handed lightsaber combat. He was better at aiming. Both he and Finn were trying to back the Sith into the fields. Finn had moved from firing point blank to somewhat off to the side. He was singeing the Sith’s clothes. Obi-Wan heard the Sith gasp. One of the bolts must have actually grazed him. The pain didn’t distract him, though. He just doubled his attack on Finn and Obi-Wan. 

Finn got smacked with the blade, which left an awful smell of burning metal, but mostly shoved Finn back. Obi-Wan wished for armor like that. That thought passed his mind, allowing a split second of inattention. It was all the Sith needed to send a blast of Force toward Obi-Wan. 

The room wasn’t very big and there was huge hole leading down to some kind of incinerator. It wasn’t a surprise really that one of them went in. Obi-Wan grabbed onto an expose piece of metal. He was fine. The battle was still raging on the floor, but now there was one less person to maneuver around. And one less lightsaber. Obi-Wan’s had dropped down the shoot. 

Obi-Wan felt a flash of frustration and just held on. He decided that tactically staying out of the way was the best he could do for the moment. He turned to watch the battle. He only caught a glimpse before he felt pain over his training bond. 

The Sith had managed to force Ren and Finn away and had gotten a moment alone with Obi-Wan’s Master. That was all he needed, apparently. Obi-Wan could see the red of a stable lightsaber blade, so drastically different from Kylo Ren's, sticking out of Master Qui-Gon’s back. 

Obi-Wan didn’t even think, he just reacted. He just Force jumped up back onto the floor. Ren and Finn had turned their attack to the Sith. Obi-Wan called his Master’s blade to him. 

“Hey!” He shouted. Their fight had been silent before now, and the noise reverberated through the room. The Sith turned and started to attack him with singular focus. Their blades only clashed a few times before the slip in the Sith’s focus cost him. 

Finn’s blade cleaved off half of the Sith’s left arm. This pain did distract the Sith. Shock colored the Zabrak’s features, but not for long. Obi-Wan shoved his blade into the Sith’s stomach, just like the Sith had done to his Master. 

Obi-Wan barely had a second to be satisfied before he had to throw himself back. Ren’s blade sliced through the Sith’s neck. The tip of it came dangerously close to Obi-Wan’s face. The heat had crackled as the blade went by, made worse by the very unstable nature of the blade.

Obi-wan moved around the dead Sith’s body and his friends, focusing on getting to his Master. He gathered his Master close, laying his Master’s head in his lap. 

“Obi-“ his Master started. 

“Shh,” Obi-Wan soothed, trying not to panic. Healer, they had no healers. 

“Move,” Ren’s voice said, uncorrupted by the vocoder that was in the helmet. Obi-Wan looked up and saw both Ren and Finn’s faces. They’d shed the helmets. Wasn’t the point was to keep their anonymity? 

“Cameras-” his Master protested, his voice cut off by his pain. Obi-Wan stroked his face, trying to provide comfort. Why hadn’t they brought a healer with them? 

“Knocked out during the fight,” Finn said. “All those blaster bolts.” 

“Can you heal?” Ren asked Finn, starting to rip his gloves off with his teeth. 

“Luke thought I should be able to, but I don’t know how,” Finn said. 

“Open yourself to me in the Force,” Ren said. “Obi-Wan, feed Qui-Gon energy over your bond.” 

“It doesn’t work like that,” Obi-Wan said. 

“Do it,” Ren ordered sharply. He lay his hands over the wound. 

Obi-Wan realized with some shock that Kylo Ren was a healer. And that he had training. Obi-Wan reached for the bond. It had been open during the fight. Like usual, the pair of them had been able to feel each other during the fight, open enough to sense tactics without having to put words to thoughts.

It was still there. Obi-Wan could feel his Master’s pain. He kept stroking Qui-Gon’s face. Obi-Wan was exhausted and shaken. He felt weak himself. But this had to be done, even if Obi-Wan had no idea how to do it. 

Obi-Wan closed his eyes, took a breath and just focused on the bond. He tried to push energy along it. He knew his emotions were going through too. He was scared. He couldn’t help his fear, but he also didn’t have time to focus on it. He’d been given a job. 

/ _I’m still here._ / Qui-Gon sent to him. His voice even felt weak in Obi-Wan’s mind. 

/ _Just stay alive. Don’t do anything else._ / Obi-Wan sent back. He was relieved that his master didn’t try to do anything else. Obi-wan had to focus, pushing whatever energy he had along the bond, keeping the bond open, keeping his Master conscious.

* * *

Finn had never felt so hollow in his life. He felt like all of him had been drained out, even out of his bones. Ren was still awake, still working. Obi-Wan had passed out long ago. He’d fed and fed himself to Jinn until Ren had to knock him out to keep him from feeding his Lifeforce along with everything else. 

Finn didn’t know how Ren was still going. He’d walked with the medic team into surgery, still healing the whole time. He’d drained Finn dry. Finn had to crash the entire camera system in the palace so all their work wouldn’t be in vain. He’d had to change clothes when he barely felt like he could move, and force Ren to change as well. He’d gotten their things off the ship they’d come in on and scuttled it to fly into the blockade before the other Jedi had arrived. 

That was how Ren had convinced him to drop Anakin into a ship rather than leave him on their own vessel. Finn was still pissed that Ren had done that. 

“Finn?” Anakin asked. He was being trailed by a droid and the woman Ren had informed him would be Anakin's wife. 

“Hey, Kid,” Finn said. He opened his arms and Anakin crawled right into his lap. 

“So, you’re the back up?” the woman asked. 

“The healers, apparently. Ren’s still working,” Finn told Anakin. 

“Is Master Qui-Gon alive?” Anakin asked. 

“Yeah, and Ren’s keeping him that way.” Finn shook his head. Ren was just full of surprises. Who knew he was such a gifted healer? 

“Thank you for what you did,” the woman said quietly. “I’m Padme.” 

“Finn Skywalker,” Finn said. 

“I know,” Padme said with a smile. “Anakin’s been telling me how amazing his father is.” 

“Has he?” Finn asked, looking down at the boy in his lap. Anakin smiled at him that was half unrepentant and half nervous. “Well, I can’t take all the credit. His mother’s something else.” He hugged Anakin a little tighter. 

Sometimes, when they’d been alone at night on Ahch-To, after Luke had gone to sleep and after he and Rey had their time for sex and kisses they would lay in each-others arms and plan a future they’d never realized they’d wanted. They both admitted that they wanted children. Rey wanted to give a home to kids like she’d never had. Finn wanted the same thing. He wanted to give love and safety. 

They’d talked about after the war. They’d talked about Rey giving birth. They’d talked about adopting babies. 

Finn hadn’t expected to be alone when he adopted a boy, or that the boy would still have his mother. He also never would have imagined that the boy would grow up to be the father of Finn's Master, and Finn's own great grandfather. But the Force did what it was going to do. And really, as much as the loss of Rey was a keenly felt wound in Finn’s soul, he wouldn’t change this. He loved Anakin differently than he’d ever loved anyone before in his life. 

Why shouldn’t he be Anakin’s father under those circumstances? 

“I know you’re busy, but will you sit with us for a few minutes?” Finn asked. 

“Sure,” Padme said kindly. She sat down on the bench next to Finn. “I have to say, the Queen was uncertain about the help the Jedi offered when you first found us.” 

“Well, you’d already been held prisoner once,” Finn said. “I imagine you thought we were going to lock you up again.” 

Padme grinned. She was so young it made Finn’s chest hurt. Fourteen and an elected leader on an entire planet. What kind of world forced someone so young to take up that much responsibility? 

“That was silly of me,” Padme said. 

“No, it makes sense,” Finn said. He smiled back at her. “You freed your people. Not us. We were busy running around trying to do something else.” 

“What were you doing?” she asked. 

“My Cousin, Ren, he has some amazing visions,” Finn lied smoothly. “He knew that you would be able to free your people. You wouldn’t stop until you could. But he also saw the death of a Jedi Master, and the beginning of a lot of trouble.” 

“What kind of trouble?” she asked, tipping her head to one side. 

Anakin was also looking up at Finn. Anakin had a better idea of what Finn was talking about. Even though he and Ren rarely elaborated, Shmi and Anakin both knew about the end of the Jedi and the Republic. Now he was looking f or details. 

“This isn’t going to be the last war you have to see,” Finn said solemnly. 

Padme shivered. “It must be hard, seeing the future.” 

“Knowing what can happen is difficult,” Finn said. “But I’m not worried. The Force directs us. It wants something from my family. Skywalkers are special like that, always causing problems and then saving the galaxy.” 

Anakin grinned and hugged Finn tighter. “I’m going to be an amazing Jedi one day.” 

“Absolutely, Ani,” Finn said. “I promise you that you will as long as you work hard and have faith in the Force.” 

“I’m going to be just like you when I grow up,” Anakin said. 

Finn couldn’t help but be flattered. 

“Are you going to call the Temple?” Padme asked. 

“I already did,” Finn said. “They’re sending other healers for Master Jinn. They need him to be stable before they can take him home.” 

“Do you think they would help with some of our injured?” Padme asked. 

“Well, it can’t hurt to ask,” Finn said. “I’m supposed to check-in in a few hours. I’ll ask then.” 

“Thank you,” Padme said. She slumped back, looking extremely tired. 

“You did a really good job leading your people,” Finn said. 

Padme sat up a little straighter, giving Finn a look that was mostly a glare, but also a question. 

“I feel really strongly the way people feel. You couldn’t hide from me if you wanted to,” Finn said. “Most Jedi don’t feel as strongly as I do.” 

“I do,” Anakin said. 

“Yeah, well you’re a special case, Kid,” Finn said fondly. He pet the top of Anakin’s head and smiled at him.

“Can other Jedi tell?” Padme asked. 

“Huh… I don’t know, I haven’t asked,” Finn said. “We’ll ask Obi-Wan if he’s up to talking when he wakes up. 

“You should probably sleep as well,” Padme noted. 

“Yeah, but someone needs to be awake in case something happens with Ren. I ate something and I’m sitting down and staying still. For now that’s enough,” Finn tried to explain. 

“You’re supposed to take care of yourself,” Anakin protested. “You’re so tired you can’t move. That’s not taking care of yourself, Dad.” 

Anakin calling him "Dad" hit Finn harder than any of Anakin’s other words. Finn felt instantly bad about making him worry. “Sometimes you got to push yourself harder so you can take care of other people.” 

“You always tell mom that she can’t take care of other people if she won’t take care of herself first,” Anakin insisted. He looked a little betrayed. 

“I do say that, don’t I?” Finn asked. Anakin nod, his mouth set in a stubborn pout. “Okay then. I’ll sleep for a little while, if you’ll stay with me and wake me up if anyone needs me. And you have to promise me to wake me up.” 

“I promise,” Anakin said. 

Padme stood up. “I’ll be right back,” she told them and slipped away. 

That was fine with Finn. He moved Anakin off his lap so Finn could stretch out over the bench. It wasn’t as bad as the benches they’d slept on when leaving Tatooine. It was wider and better padded. But it was still a bench. Finn wiggled out of his jacket and let Anakin cover him with it. He could now see the naked worry on Anakin’s face. 

“Sorry for hurting you,” Finn said quietly. 

“I’m okay,” Anakin said quietly. 

Finn knew what it felt like to feel powerless. He’d accidentally helped Anakin by asking him to stay nearby. Anakin couldn’t save Qui-Gon Jinn any more than Finn could, but Finn had been able to give Ren strength. And Finn had put Obi-Wan to bed and contacted the Temple. Anakin hadn’t had any tangible way to help until now.

“I heard you blew up a ship,” Finn said. 

Anakin blushed a little. “I didn’t mean to,” he said. 

“I know,” Finn said. “As mad as I was at Ren for sneaking you into the ship… maybe he did know something I didn’t. It’s galling to know that Ren has more faith in what you can do than I do.” 

“You’re trying to protect me,” Anakin said. 

“Yeah, I am,” Finn said. “But Jedi take Padawans that are your age out into the field. And you’re stronger than any of the kids I’ve ever met. I should have had faith that you’d be okay.” 

“Well,” Anakin said thoughtfully. “Ren sees me as his grandfather, who’s like an old man. And you just see me as Anakin.” 

Reached out and pulled Anakin close into a one-armed hug. “You’re too young to have to put up with everything I did… but you’re going to have to anyway. That’s how they raise Jedi.” 

“And I’m going to be a Jedi,” Anakin said firmly. 

“Yeah, you will,” Finn agreed. He just didn’t like giving Anakin up to danger already. 

“Back,” Padme said. She returned with a couple of blankets and pillows. “Raise your head,” she ordered Finn. Finn let go of Anakin so the young Queen could get close. He raised his head and she placed the pillow under it. She and Anakin helped spread the blanket over him. 

Finn watched Padme drop the other pillow on the ground and Anakin sit on it. He could feel Anakin grin even without having to see him do so. Padme settled the blankets around Anakin’s shoulders. 

It occurred to Finn that Anakin must have known how special Padme was. It was how Finn just knew how important Rey was going to be to him and his life. Finn hadn’t been able to identify that feeling for what it was then. He just knew he was drawn to her. But now he knew it was the Force telling him that here was what he’d always wanted.

It amused him, saddened him and made him happy all at once to know that Anakin had already found his person. 

As much as Finn hated to admit it, Ren might actually know something. 

Finn closed his eyes and settled in. He reached for the Force. Anakin was bright at his side. Finn reached deeper, searching out the people he knew. Obi-Wan was asleep in the infirmary. He wouldn’t have wanted to be so far away from his Master and when they’d been brought in, the rest of the injured had yet to be moved into the infirmary. Ren was still working. Finn could feel Ren slowly feeding energy to Jinn. 

Jinn was the one that shone in an odd way. His feeling in the Force was different. He still shone a little like Obi-Wan, but also a lot like Ren. Himself was fairly weak, but still there. Finn pushed himself away from this image. He didn’t want to think about what that meant.

He turned himself over to the Force, which was a comforting all surrounding presence. It would be okay. He had to believe that it would be okay. Secure in the Force, he allowed himself to slip off to sleep.

* * *

Anakin woke Finn a few hours later when someone came to get Finn. Ren was flagging and needed more energy. Finn couldn’t help but be frustrated. Ren had fought as hard as any of them, but none of them knew healing like Ren did. Finn was reminded again that he could probably learn healing, but he’d never even gone to the Healers and asked if he could help. Finn gave everything he had to give and had to have someone lead him back out to the bench to sleep again. Anakin was his watchful protector whenever he slept. 

Finn was so grateful when the Healers from the temple arrived. 

He and one of Padme’s handmaidens were on hand when the Healers took over. The Healers slipped into Ren’s healing. As soon as Ren didn’t have to fight to keep Qui-Gon Jinn alive, he passed right out. Finn and Sabe caught Ren and carried him off to the rooms the Queen had offered them. 

After that, Finn and Anakin watched over Ren, both of them equally worried. Anakin wouldn’t leave the room, and Finn only left long enough to ask for food. 

Ren slept for nearly twenty hours, and when he awoke, Anakin and Finn force fed him food and nudged him into sleeping a little longer. 

Finn had Anakin escort a still very exhausted Kylo Ren to the ship while Finn helped Obi-Wan to the ship as well. Obi-Wan wasn’t much better off. Any time Obi-Wan was awake he was feeding energy to Master Jinn. The end result was that any energy that Obi-Wan had gained from sleep and food was lost almost instantly. 

Master Jinn had already been loaded into the ship, as had their things. 

The four of them dropped down into chairs to rest and wait. Obi-Wan lay against Finn. Finn worried for Obi-Wan. He was certain now if he hadn’t been before that Obi-Wan was in love with his Master. After all, Finn doubted that he would have acted any different if something happened to Rey. Finn put his arm around Obi-Wan, offering him comfort. 

“He’ll be fine,” Finn said quietly. He glanced over to Ren and Anakin. This was the first time Finn had actually seen Anakin sit in Ren’s lap. And Finn was pretty certain Anakin was only doing this to keep Ren from getting up and trying to do anything else to help. That was the other reason why Finn had his arm around Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan needed to try and gain his own energy back. 

The trip felt home felt both too long and too short. Finn couldn’t stop Obi-Wan from feeding his Master energy except when Obi-Wan was knocked out. Finn spent a lot of time having to use force suggestions on Obi-Wan, which only worked because Obi-Wan had drained himself so much. When Obi-Wan woke, Finn would feed him, monitor if Obi-Wan was sending energy and would have to put Obi-Wan back under when he started trying to send Jinn more energy. 

“I’m not going to thank you for teaching Obi-Wan that,” Finn said to Ren after too many times of having to knock Obi-Wan out. Obi-Wan was asleep across Finn’s lap. Ren hadn’t tried to heal anyone else, at least. He’d just rested and eaten and tried to recover.

“He would have been more upset if he hadn’t known he could and his Master died,” Ren said. 

Finn didn’t respond. Ren was right, but Finn was going to have a talk with Obi-Wan once Master Jinn was home in a tank of Bacta and in a healing sleep. Obi-Wan would go beyond and kill himself if something like this happened again, especially if there weren’t other people around to help keep Obi-Wan from giving away everything. 

Finn was starting to understand why Jedi were against attachments. Finn was pretty certain it was to keep Jedi from sacrificing others to save the ones they loved, but Finn was realizing that Jedi like Obi-Wan would sacrifice themselves for ones they loved just as easily. If Obi-Wan had tried giving his energy without a healer around to keep Qui-Gon alive, then both Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan would have died. And Finn doubted that Obi-Wan would have even cared. 

Finn needed to have a talk with Master Windu as well. It wasn’t healthy for Obi-Wan to be that obsessed. 

When the ship landed, Master Jinn and the Healers were the first out, heading straight into the Temple and hopefully into the Bacta. 

Ren was well enough to help Finn carry Obi-Wan in and put him to bed. Then Finn sent Ren to put Anakin to bed. Finn went to give the report to the Council on his own. Out of all of them he’d been the one awake the longest and most aware of the situation. 

Finn had never given a report before, but it wasn’t that different from when he gave a report to Phasma. Sure, he messed up protocol. But he was able to give a clear report of what transpired, and he got a chance to see the video that had survived. He was also informed that the body of the Sith had been recovered and would be studied. 

Everyone came home alive, even if in varying states off health. The Sith was dead. Ren and Finn had been able to appear as Dark Side users. So it was counted as a tentative success. 

When the report was done, Finn waited outside of the Council Chamber for the session to break. He had spent days in the pockets of Obi-Wan, Ren and Anakin. He needed a moment to himself. He settled down and allowed himself to meditate for the first time since he’d arrived on Naboo. He was so jumbled with worry, guilt and anxiety. He needed to release it to the Force. It took a bit of time, but it was easier when he could feel the strength of the Council nearby.

“Are you trying to spy with the Force, young one?” Master Koth asked as Finn started to come out of his meditation. 

“I didn’t know that was something I could do,” Finn admitted. He opened his eyes and smiled up at Master Koth. “I needed to not be needed for a little while.” 

Master Koth smiled back. “I understand, but surely there are gardens you could meditate in.” 

“I needed to speak with Master Windu,” Finn said. “I figured I’d wait… and it was comforting to feel you all nearby.” 

Master Koth gave Finn a complicated smile. He tugged his student into an embrace that Finn went into gratefully. 

“I could feel your guilt,” Master Koth said quietly into Finn’s ear. “You need to work on your shields. And you need to let it go. Mistakes were made, but you protected the others in your team, as you always do. You need time to rest now.” 

“Thank you Master Koth,” Finn said, slipping away from the hold. “But after I speak to Master Windu. Then I’m going to let Shmi make me a cup of tea and put me to bed.” Shmi was going to kill them all. They’d taken all of her family and run off to a very dangerous situation. Finn knew she’d express her displeasure after she’d made certain her boys were alive and well. 

Master Koth sighed. “You don’t have to solve everything, Finn.” 

“I know,” Finn said, trying to assure his teacher. “I just need to do this last thing and then I can stop for a while.” 

Master Koth didn’t look convinced, but he stepped aside when Master Windu walked out of the Council Chamber. 

“Master Windu, Finn wants to speak with you,” Master Koth said. 

“Oh boy, should I be scared?” Master Windu asked. 

“No,” Finn said. He rubbed the back of his neck. He was just sore all over. It wasn’t even sore from a beating. It was sore from exhaustion. 

“Let me get you a cup of tea. You look like you could use it,” Master Windu said. 

“I could,” Finn admitted. He waved goodbye to Master Koth and allowed Master Windu to steer him away. Finn was starting to get used to being in Master Windu’s quarters. They felt like comfort. It wasn’t quite home, but they were familiar and safe. 

Master Windu nudged him into a seat and moved around the kitchen to make tea. Finn didn’t bother even speaking until he had a cup of tea in his hand and Master Windu was sitting across from him. Finn took a sip of tea and let the tension ease from his shoulders. 

“What’s so important that you couldn’t wait to talk until you’d rested?” Master Windu asked. 

“It’s about Obi-Wan. And about me too, really,” Finn said. “Let’s start with my problem: Luke thought I could heal, but he didn’t know how to teach me, so I never learned anything.” He just jumped right into it. He didn’t have the energy for anything else. 

“You feel guilty for not being able to help Master Jinn?” Master Windu asked, raising a brow. “Because I assure you, that you did help.” 

“It’s not exactly that. Master Jinn is alive because not only is Kylo Ren a healer, he’s an excellent healer. He knew what to demand of us, and he worked nonstop until he could be certain that someone could take his place. The problem is that there’s a chance that I could have also known what to do. We could have swapped out and both of us could have had chances to rest. But because I didn’t know what to do, only Ren could work on Master Jinn.” 

“You want to learn to be a Healer?” Master Windu asked. 

“I want to know if I can. I don’t want to only be a healer. But I need to train to also be able to heal. Jedi get injured in the field. If I can help but don’t learn how and someone dies because of my ignorance, I will never be able to forgive myself.” 

Master Windu nodded. “All Jedi can heal a little. Some are just more given to that skill than others. We’ll include lessons with Healers from now on. You need to learn to heal yourself and whatever partner you may travel with.” 

Finn nodded as well. He took a sip of tea. He let the warmth spread through his body. He was home. Everyone was safe. It would be okay. 

“What about Obi-Wan?” Master Windu asked. Apparently Finn had been too quiet for too long. 

“Ren taught him how to give energy across the training bond. Obi-Wan won’t stop doing it now. He only stops when he’s asleep. He’s worn himself out from it to the point where I was able to use Force suggestion to make him sleep. Multiple times.” Master Windu didn’t need to know how many times it was. He already looked worried enough. 

“Attachment,” Master Windu commented. He took a sip of his own tea. 

“I know,” Finn said. He felt guilty for telling Obi-Wan’s secret. “I know he wouldn’t sacrifice someone else for Master Jinn. But he’d sacrifice himself in a heartbeat. This can’t keep on like this. I was thinking I may need to stay with Obi-Wan after I go check in with Shmi-”

“No,” Master Windu said. “I’ll go. If he’s as weak as you say I can block the bond so he can’t keep doing this to himself.” 

Finn let out a sigh of desperate relief. “Thank you, Master Windu.”

“No,” Master Windu said. “Stop worrying about other people and go take care of yourself.” 

“Shmi will put me to bed if I let her,” Finn said, 

“Let her,” Master Windu ordered. 

“Yes, Master Windu,” Finn said. He stood up and stretched. He needed his family and he needed sleep. “Thank you again, Master Windu.” 

“Go,” Master Windu said, pointing toward the door. 

Finn headed out and down the hall. Shmi would help him rest. She wouldn’t let him fuss and worry until the tension in Finn’s shoulders had passed. Finn mused that he had allowed himself to become attached enough to his family that he expected that they would care for him. He couldn’t remember having ever done that before.


	8. Chapter 8

Rey hated this day completely. Luke had gotten a feeling along the Force. Like a vision but not quite, he said. He’d take her back to Andvor, like she and Luke hadn’t looked all over that Force-forsaken planet the past three years for some sign, any sign of Finn. Finn and Kylo Ren had disappeared. As much as Leia worried about her son, Rey was only worried about Finn. He’d been gone for such a long time with no trace. 

But Luke was certain that this time they’d come up with something. Rey didn’t know how to tell Luke to stop hoping so much, that hope only led to pain. But she hoped too. She wouldn’t allow herself to believe that Finn was dead. He would never leave her, not without finding a way back to her. If he was dead, he would have come back in the Force like Obi-Wan had. 

Andvor was a thick jungle. The first time Rey had seen it she’d been as overcome as she was any time she saw a green planet. But this was the seventh trip. The place just dripped with the Force. Rey hated every piece of it. Every time it was a new hope of finding some hint of Finn, and every time it was nothing. The jungle whispered to her sweet hope that was always ripped away

This time had been different, but that didn’t mean that Rey liked the place. 

Apparently they weren’t the only ones looking for someone lost in the Jungle.

She supposed that she should count it as a win that they had managed to capture General Hux. Finn would have been happy to see the man executed. And the loss of Kylo Ren had been a pretty big blow to the First Order. Losing one of its other heads was definitely going to be a body blow. 

But Rey wand Luke were trapped dragging a belligerent bad guy through the jungle, one which they had assumed had only been inhabited by animals, even aside from the First Order troops they’d escaped. 

But suddenly all three of them were running for their lives from groups with outdated weapons and a language they couldn’t understand.

They had found a quiet place. The General was sitting in the dirt, trying to catch his breath. Luke had gone ahead, trying to scout out the area and see if they could find cover. Rey was trying very hard not to think about what it meant that there were suddenly people on Andvor, people that the life scanners on their ships had never picked up.

Rey had a new fear of what happened to Finn, but she didn’t have time to think about it. She had to help save Luke and even this stupid General. If he didn’t get a public execution, no one would believe it, even if they brought his head back. And Rey didn’t want to be the kind of Jedi who carried around someone’s head. 

Rey switched on her lightsaber. The force was zinging through her veins. Someone was coming. It didn’t matter that they felt familiar, this land had twisted them into knots before. She had to be ready.

And then two men burst into the clearing, one of which she knew very well. 

“Rey?” Finn asked. 

Rey turned off her lightsaber and covered her mouth with her hand. They were in danger. She couldn’t burst into tears and shout for joy like she wanted to. It was Finn, she was certain. She could feel him so bright and sure. 

“Rey!” Finn exclaimed. He ran over to her and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her against his chest. 

It had been three years since he’d held her, but still it was just like she remembered. Finn was an island in a stormy sea. He was shelter where none could be found. Not even in the waves and the winds could destroy him. 

Rey wrapped her arms around Finn and squeezed as tight as she could until Finn let out a little squeak. Rey started to laugh at the familiarity of it all.

“Finn,” the other man said. He was about Finn and Rey’s height, with a beard and long hair. He was probably about their age as well. 

“This is Rey!” Finn declared proudly. 

“Pleasure to meet you,” the man said. Rey had never met anyone who spoke like her. “But we really need to keep moving.” 

“Right,” Finn said, stepping back. 

“Luke is ahead looking for cover,” Rey said. She couldn’t stop smiling. She hauled the General out of the dirt by his arms, which were bound securely behind him. 

“Shit, is that General Hux?” Finn asked. 

“We captured him,” Rey said. 

Finn let out a heavy and long suffering sigh. “Yeah, we have to take him with us too.”

“I’m so glad you’re alive,” Rey said. She couldn’t help the way she smiled at Finn.

“How long have I been gone for?” Finn asked. 

“Three years,” she said. They started walking. She shoved the General along. So far he’d chosen to be silent and that suited her just fine. 

“Yeah, that sounds about right,” Finn said. “I would have come back to you if I’d been able to. I didn’t know how to get home.” 

“I knew you would never leave me on purpose,” she said. “I just feared the worst.”

“I understand,” Finn said, “Let’s find Luke. It’s dangerous to be out when the sun goes down.” 

Finn closed his eyes. She could feel him brush past her as he reached out in the Force for Luke. He was stronger than he had been when they’d last seen each other. But then, she was stronger as well. And Finn still felt like Finn. He just had more control. He must have spent a lot of time practicing on his own. 

That thought made her sad. If he had been captured by these people, maybe they’d isolated him. He had much more control, so he must have practiced a lot… but then he did have a friend with him. So he must not have been all alone. 

She was glad he hadn’t been alone.

“This way,” Finn said, taking the lead. 

Rey noticed that he had his blaster slung across his back and his lightsaber on his hip. She turned to look at the stranger. She brushed against him with the Force and was overwhelmed by what she felt. He was a Force user too. And strong and in control. It reminded her a lot of Luke. She noticed his lightsaber on his hip as well. 

“Finn,” she said quietly. 

“We need to be quiet,” the stranger said. He offered Rey an apologetic smile. “We’ll explain once we’re safe.” 

Rey nodded and didn’t speak. She understood the need for silence. That was part of why the General was being quiet as well, she was certain. Whoever lived on Andvor, they seemed to have good hearing. They’d been nearly caught three times because of noise. She’d allowed herself joy, but now was the time for caution. She could contain herself until they were safe. 

Finn led them along the jungle, walking so lightly Rey could barely hear any of his footsteps. She was impressed. He pushed his way into a clearing and motioned for a halt. The rest of their party stopped. In seconds Luke walked right into the clearing. 

Luke’s eyes got wide and he smiled when he saw Finn. “Finn,” he whispered. 

Finn grinned. He walked over and pulled Luke into a tight hug, which Luke returned easily. They didn’t hug long before they pulled apart. Luke looked to the rest of them. He looked relieved when he saw Rey and that she still had their prisoner. Then he looked at the other man. Luke looked confused for mere moment before shock colored his features. 

“Later,” Finn whispered to Luke. “Cover?” 

Luke took a deep breath and then nodded. He motioned for them to follow. He took over leading their party. 

It turned out the cover he found was a cave part way up a very tall stone hill. There was enough for a path that they could hike it. What they couldn’t hike they were able to get the General up by Finn’s friend throwing the much taller man over his shoulder like a sack of flour and then climbing the rock surface. Rey had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing at the humorous sight. Especially because of the comical look on Hux’s face. But even he still stayed silent, which only reminded Rey to keep her mouth shut. 

It wasn’t easy to get to the cave, and it was well hidden by brush, but that was to their advantage. The sun was almost completely set by the time they wall made it into the cave. 

“Have a seat,” the stranger said quietly to Hux, pushing him until he sat on the hard stone floor. Hux let out a noise of protest.

“It’s so good to see you both,” Finn said. He tugged Rey against his chest again. She went willingly and happily. She pressed her face into his shoulder and did her best to hold back her tears. They weren’t out of danger completely yet. Once they were away from this awful planet she could have time for her tears. 

“Where were you?” Rey asked. 

“It’s a long story. We should all sit,” Finn said. 

Rey pulled away long enough for them to sit. Then she snuggled into Finn’s side. He put his arm around her and kept her close. It soothed a part of her she didn’t know she had to know that Finn still wanted her. 

“What happened?” Luke asked in a serious voice. 

“When Ren and I were fighting when found a stone on Andvor that was powerfully attuned to the Force started to glow. The stone got ahold of both of us and sent us very far away,” Finn explained. 

“So when we looked for you, you weren’t even on Andvor,” Rey said. 

“No,” Finn said. He placed a kiss on her brow. Rey felt herself smile. 

“So where were you?” Luke asked. 

“I woke up on Tatooine, over thirty years before you were even born,” Finn said. 

Rey felt shock shoot through her. The Force could do a lot, but time travel? That was ridiculous. 

Luke shifted his gaze over to the stranger. “I suppose that makes some level of sense then,” Luke said. 

“How?” Rey hissed. 

“I know it seems crazy,” Finn said. 

“Seems?” Rey asked. She looked at Luke. “How can you say that makes sense?” 

“Rey,” Finn said with a smile. “This is your grandfather,” he said, introducing her to the stranger. “Obi-Wan Kenobi, meet Rey Kenobi, my lover.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” the stranger- Obi-Wan Kenobi said with a soft kind of smile. “Finn always speaks so highly of you… and I suppose you must be Luke then,” Kenobi said, fixing his eyes on Luke. “I wondered how you recognized me.” 

“I’d know your Force Signature anywhere,” Luke said. 

“Wait,” Rey said quietly. “Wait, this is real? This is really my grandfather?” She looked at Finn. Finn had a solemn look on his face. He nodded slowly. 

“Yes, Rey. This is… this is why I couldn’t get back to you. The Jedi Temple wouldn’t even agree to let me and Ren look for a way to get home until this last year and only because we’ve helped them out more than a few times. Obi-Wan and I were on Andvor a few months ago looking for a way to get us home.” 

“Wait, Ren?” Hux interjected. He had been stonily silent since Rey and Luke had tied him up. But now he was looking up with as much shock on his face and Rey herself was feeling. 

“Yeah,” Finn said. “I owe him, which is about the only reason you’re still alive.” There was so much hatred in his voice. Rey didn’t blame him. She slowly rubbed his back, trying to soothe him. He leaned against her a little more.

“So Ben has been helping you?” Luke asked. 

“Who?” Obi-Wan asked. 

“Ren was named after you originally,” Finn explained. “Ben Solo… it was just so much easier to call him by the name he’d rather go by then argue with him. You know how he sulks.” 

“That I do,” Obi-Wan said. He looked amused. 

Rey glanced around at the men. Finn was just joyous. Luke looked thoughtful. Obi-Wan was perfectly comfortable and Hux looked absolutely thunderstruck. Rey smirked. Looked like Hux didn’t know the real parentage of Kylo Ren. Well, that should be fun. 

“Finn,” Luke said quietly. “Where are we? Rey and I were looking for you on Andvor.” 

“Well, this isn’t Andvor,” Finn said. “Our ship got attacked on the way back from Andvor. We aren’t 100% certain on the name of the planet we’re on. We’ve been able to keep in contact with the Temple, but we’ve also had to keep on the run for the past week. We’re waiting for a rescue.” 

“They thought they the right system anyway,” Obi-Wan said. “So it’s only a few more days we need to worry about. Master Qui-Gon and I have been in worse situations.” 

“Sith-Hells, I’m really glad Master Jinn didn’t talk his way onto his mission,” Finn groaned quietly. 

“Me too,” Obi-Wan admitted. 

“So… Qui-Gon’s still alive then?” Luke asked quietly.

“Yes,” Finn said. “Not that it was easy. It took me, Obi-Wan and Ren nearly killing ourselves to keep him alive long enough to get the Healers to him. And then it took months and months of healing. With him trying to over work himself.” He sounded frustrated. 

“It hasn’t been easy,” Obi-Wan said. 

“Lucky he did take Anakin was his Padawan,” Finn said. “Anakin just looks at you with his sad eyes until you feel bad that you won’t let him help.” 

“What’s a Padawan?” Rey asked. 

“The Jedi word for what you and I are. Luke’s our teacher. It’s like an apprenticeship,” Finn explained. 

“Although normally we would never allow a Jedi to have more than one Padawan at a time.” Obi-Wan added. 

“It’s not like I have much of a choice,” Luke said. 

“They know,” Finn said. “Really, you teaching me is the only reason the Temple let me stay to begin with. I was a Padawan without my Master. Someone had to train me. It just turned out to be a bunch of different people. Obi-Wan’s been training me in the kata since he was still a Padawan himself.” 

“Who else teaches you?” Luke asked. 

“It depends on who’s at them Temple. Once the Council figured out Obi-Wan and I make a good team, we started getting sent out a lot. But Master Jinn and I talk about philosophy a lot.” 

“Only because he’s one of the few Jedi who believes what you do,” Obi-Wan said in a teasing tone. 

“It’s not like it’s not interesting talking to the other Masters who don’t,” Finn said. “I take lessons the same as a lot of Padawans. But I also do a lot of individual tutoring. I practice the Kata with Master Giett, take lessons from a lot. Master Yaddle and I talk about philosophy when Master Jinn can’t. Master Koth and I talk about history and philosophy as well, but he mostly covers my general education. And Master Mace… well, he mops the floor with me at the Kata, and debates with me until my head spins.” Finn was grinning brightly. Even in the fading light, Rey could still see his smile. 

Rey felt like she was behind. Luke taught her on his own, but he had limited resources. Finn wasn’t stronger just because he’d practiced, but because he’d had so many different teachers there to show him what to do and to tell him things that even Luke didn’t know.

“I’m ashamed to say I haven’t heard of many of those people,” Luke said. 

“I’m not surprised,” Finn said sadly. “But now you all can meet them.” 

“Meet them?” Rey asked quietly. 

“When the Temple rescue arrives,” Obi-Wan said. “Finn has spoken so well of you both. The Council has agreed that if Finn ever got to go home that we wanted to give him as much knowledge as we could.” 

“Oh,” Rey said. She didn’t know why she hadn’t understood that they were also in the past. She felt dizzy suddenly. 

“Rey, are you okay?” Finn asked. 

“Yeah fine…. How did you deal with all of this?” Rey asked. She laid her hand on his shoulder and closed her eyes, willing the world to stop spinning. 

“Well… at the time I had to take care of Anakin and Shmi. I didn’t have time to panic until later. And by then I was so much in the thick of it I couldn’t exactly back out,” Finn explained. There was sympathy in his tone. So he’d been busy taking care of everyone else, like always. His fingers ran through her hair. The touch was so soothing and so missed. She had felt hollow for so, so long without him. 

“You keep saying Anakin,” Luke said. 

“Your father, yes,” Finn said. “And he knows. He’s a great kid. His mother, that’s Shmi, she’s raised him really well. And I guess I have too.” He hugged Rey a little closer. 

“So you rescued my father and grandmother from Tatooine,” Luke said. 

“Well, Ren actually got the ship there so we could get off Tatooine,” Finn said. 

“And you freed them,” Obi-Wan said with a bit of chiding in his voice. “Shmi and Anakin love you so much. Don’t discount what you’ve done for them.” 

“I know. Shmi would chew me out if she heard me talking like that,” Finn said. 

“So, we’re really in the past then?” Luke asked. 

“Yes,” Finn said. “The Force must want us to fix what happens.” 

Luke looked a little relieved. “What’s he like… my father.” 

“Well, Ani’s really smart,” Finn said. “And really strong. Sometimes me, Ren, his mother and Master Jinn can’t contain him even. I don’t like containing him really, but it’s more about not letting his control slip and hurting someone. He’s done it before and it really scares him. He tries so hard to be good… but there’s all this… you know he was raised as a slave, right?” 

“I guessed,” Luke said with tightness in his voice. 

“How did you know?” Rey asked. She was under the impression that Luke didn’t really know that much about his father. 

“Skywalker is a slave name,” Finn said. 

“Oh,” Rey said. It clicked in her mind then. She felt nothing but sympathy for Luke then. She knew that his Uncle had kept the truth from Luke, but still Luke believed that his father was a great warrior or something. When you’ve got that stigma attached to your name, of course you want to believe the best.

“We get along because of that,” Finn said. “He understands. Shmi does too… about me. But it’s a lot of darkness, even though Anakin isn’t owned anymore. It would be hard enough to help Anakin if we only worked with the way Jedi normally do where they just say to not let your emotions rule you. Master Jinn and I work hard to let Anakin feel his anger and deal with it… it’s hard.” 

Luke looked sad. “You know what can happen.” 

“I know,” Finn said. “But it doesn’t have to. Anakin has a lot of people who love him now.” He looked at Obi-Wan and smiled. 

“We should rest,” Obi-Wan said. “Hopefully the ship will be here tomorrow.”

“We can dream anyway,” Finn said. 

“I’ll take first watch,” Luke said. 

“Thanks, Luke,” Rey said. 

Finn tugged Rey to lay down with her. He let her lay on his chest and lay his jacket over her. The temperature was dropping, but they weren’t really safe enough to start a fire. Rey felt bad for the others, but not enough to move away from Finn and try to do anything about it. 

“I missed you,” Rey whispered to Finn. 

“I missed you so much,” Finn said quietly. “I’m so sorry I was gone for so long.” 

“You couldn’t help it,” she said. “How do you argue with the Force about time travel?” She whispered to him and smiled, though he couldn’t see it because she was laying her cheek on his chest. 

“The Force brought you to me,” Finn whispered. “Just like before.” 

“Just like before,” she whispered back. It was nice to think that maybe the Force wanted them together. That thought stayed with her as she began to drift off to sleep.

* * *

It turned out that the ship found them not too long after they woke up. Finn’s Comm crackled to life before they’d even left the cave. Finn was able to direct them from his view outside the cave. A ship pulled up in front of the cave. They tossed Hux in, but otherwise they all jumped onto the ship, which closed up and took off as soon as they were all on. 

“Only you could go on a simple information gathering mission and end up stranded on a different planet and collect three extra passengers,” the pilot said. 

“Shush, Garen,” Obi-Wan. “I’ll have you know we happened to find Finn’s Master and lover. So yes, this was a very successful mission.” 

The pilot whistled, clearly impressed. “I’m Knight Garen Muln,” the pilot called back. “It’s nice to meet you lot. Now buckle in. This ride is a bit bumpy.” 

“Obi-Wan, is this the actual ship that you used when picked us up from Tatooine?” Finn asked. He strapped Hux down and then went and buckled himself in. Rey followed suit, sitting next to Finn and strapping herself in. 

“I don’t know,” Obi-Wan said. “It might be.” 

“Then everyone needs to be strapped in,” Finn said.

“It wasn’t that bad,” Obi-Wan responded. But he also got strapped in.

It wasn’t that bad, but it wasn’t that good either. Rey held onto Finn’s hand. The ship did shake a lot getting out of the atmosphere. After that it was clear sailing. The problem was that it was a really tiny little cabin area and there were six of them.

“I think they should just decommission this thing,” Finn said once they were in open space.

“Maybe you should have sent this one into the sun instead of that other one,” Obi-Wan said. It surprised Rey a little to hear obvious teasing in Obi-Wan Kenobi’s voice. She’d seen him a few times in the Force. He was always a sad, serious old man. This Obi-Wan was young, vibrant and playful. The years hadn’t been kind to him.

“We couldn’t risk breaking down in this piece off scrap,” Finn said. He let out a wistful sigh. “I tell you what, that would have been a nicer flight.” 

Obi-Wan let out a small laugh. He relaxed against the wall. “At least I’m not trying to make you do the Kata in this space.” 

Finn laughed and groaned. He slipped his arm around Rey’s middle. “Rey, you’re gonna love the Kata. They do way more aerial tricks than you’d think possible.” 

“You could teach me?” Rey asked. 

“Well, I’m still learning as well. You’d probably to better with Obi-Wan, or Master Windu.” 

“Master Windu would try and get you to learn Vaapad. You don’t want to do that to yourself,” Obi-Wan explained. 

“I don’t mind it exactly,” Finn said. “No, that’s a lie. I rather hate it. But I’m better suited to it than basically anyone else besides the Anakin and Shmi.” 

“And Ren,” Obi-Wan reminded. 

“Yeah, but him learning it isn’t something Master Windu really wants. You have to channel your anger without letting it over take you. So, yeah. I hate it. And Shmi mops the floor with me every time. It’s the one Kata form she’s got down completely,” Finn explained. 

“If you’re anything like Finn, Master Windu is going to want to teach you,” Obi-Wan said. 

“What does this form look like?” Luke asked.

Finn stood up and stretched. “Okay, I’m only going to show you what I can in this really small space. So you’ll get an idea at least.” 

He unhooked his lightsaber from his belt, but didn’t turn it on. Still, when he started to move, Rey decided she’d never seen anything like it. It beat in her heart, reminding her of her first lightsaber battle with Ren. It was that moment when she’d let the Force in, when all off her anger and pain came to a head. 

Han Solo was dead. Ren had killed him. Finn was face down in the snow and she didn’t even know if he was alive. Ren had kidnapped her, tried to torture her. She had been able to crawl past his shields and see the vile pit his mind was, and how much fear he carried, and his shame. And yet he told her that he could teach her how to use the Force. Everything he’d done was wrong. And the only people who’d ever cared enough to come for her were dead, nearly dead or grieving. 

That anger had brought clarity. She would not be him. She would beat him. 

That was the way Finn moved. There was Darkness there, the Darkness Luke warned them against, but also didn’t stop them from looking at because he didn’t want them to fear it. Their collective anger was useful to them, as was their love. This was emotion channeled into something the Jedi could use. 

“I know that form,” Luke said. He sounded very troubled. “Darth Vadar favored that form. I remember it very well.” There was a bitterness in his words. Rey thought for a moment of getting up and going to hug him. He’d suffered in his life at the hands of people he loved. His strength was loving past that pain. Rey wanted to be like Luke very much. 

“Oh, Luke, I’m sorry,” Finn said. He walked over to Luke. “I can stop, if you want.” 

“No, Finn. If a Jedi Master is teaching you this, he must think it’s of use to you. But be careful. It favors the Dark Side.” 

“I know,” Finn said. “But you taught me not to fear my anger, but to use it to make something good. Master Windu wants other Jedi to learn his form. But he doesn’t take every student. He told me that he knows I can handle it because I already have a foundation in using my anger without using the Dark Side. He says I must be a credit to my Master, to you” 

The smile Luke gave was bright and genuine. “Thank you, Finn. But you have been training with others far longer than you have been training with me.” 

“And I wouldn’t have been able to do it without you. You gave me a freedom normal Jedi don’t have. It makes me strong. It makes Anankin and Shmi strong too.” 

“I think I will have to see for myself,” Luke said. He reached out and took Finn’s hand, giving it a squeeze. “Let me tell you a story you don’t know.” 

“What is it?” Finn asked. 

“That lightsaber you hold in your hand belonged to someone else before it belonged to me,” Luke said. “My father made it when he was still a Jedi. He lost it in a fight with Ben Kenobi…. And in turn, Ben gave it to me when I was old enough. And then I lost it in a fight with my father… along with my hand. That Lightsaber has crossed time and space. As have you. I couldn’t think of a more fitting person to use it.” 

Finn looked down at the lightsaber. Rey could feel his shock without having to see his face. She stayed seated. This was between Luke and Finn, and it was important. It made her understand a little why she’d been drawn to it as well. If her grandfather had it as long as Luke was suggesting, it would have imprinted with a bit of his Force Signature as well. 

“Well, I think Ani will be kind of excited to find out he designed my lightsaber,” Finn said. “Thank you, Luke.” 

“Not to interrupt,” Obi-Wan interrupted. Rey glared at him a little, didn’t he see this was important? “But did you say that your father cut off your hand?” 

“Yeah… Obi-Wan, we aren’t telling Anakin this yet, okay? He’s eleven. He doesn’t need to know. He’s got enough problems,” Finn said. 

“Okay… does anyone else know?” Obi-Wan asked. 

“Ren, of course… and I told Master Windu a few years back. And I told Master Jinn that the Sith will want Anakin, so he’d keep an eye out.” Finn was using his reassuring voice. “We already know that it doesn’t have to be the way it was. Master Jinn being alive is proof of that alone.” 

Obi-Wan nodded. That seemed to ease the tension in his shoulders. “Alright. I trust you. I assume you’ll tell me eventually?” 

“I will,” Finn said. 

“My turn for a question,” Luke said. “Are you not Anakin’s Master?” he asked Obi-Wan. 

“Master Qui-Gon was supposed to train him. I knew that Master Qui-Gon would train Anakin once I had completed my trials on Knighthood,” Obi-Wan explained. 

“Master Jinn is great with him,” Finn insisted. “He’s been training Anakin and Shmi since they found us. I trust him with Anakin.” 

“And for Finn that’s the highest trust I know him to give,” Obi-Wan said.

“About the only trust I have higher is trusting Rey’s life with someone,” Finn said. He turned and grinned at her. 

Rey let out a surprised laugh. “Come give me a kiss, remind me why I missed you.” 

Finn was beaming as he cross the small cabin and sat next to her. He leaned and kissed her, soft and sweet like she remembered. It was a short kiss, since their Master, her grandfather and General Hux were all sitting across from them. Still, they rested their foreheads against each other and smiled at each other. Together. They were together again. 

“I’m never letting you out of my sight again, Finn Skywalker,” she said. 

“I won’t ever leave your sight,” he whispered like a vow. 

Her heart clenched. Finn had made friends, and she was glad. But some selfish part of her was glad that he’d missed her just as much as she’d missed him. This was her other half, she knew that to be true. Without him she’d felt like there was just not enough of her. She carried a piece of him with her, and he carried a piece of her. Apart they weren’t less. But together they were more. And she’d missed that. She’d missed him.

* * *

The trip was long, frustrating and far too cramped. It didn’t help that the one thing Rey really wanted to do was take Finn off to a private corner and relearn his body. And there just wasn’t a private corner. They’d found and few moments in the shower, but that had been too short and they kept banging their elbows. 

Also, Luke and Obi-Wan wouldn’t look them in the eye for a couple of hours afterwards. And Muln kept winking at them. The fact that he was one of Obi-Wan’s best friends kept Rey from trying to strangle him and just pilot the plane herself. And only that. At least with him gone they could have thrown out his body and had a little more space. 

Rey, Luke and Hux didn’t have changes of clothes. Muln had brought bags for Obi-Wan and Finn, but even that could only go so far, especially with Rey borrowing from both Finn and Obi-Wan just to have a change of clothes. They had to stop for supplies and refuel twice and nearly didn’t have enough credits because they had to feed three extra people they hadn’t planned for and were coming all the way from the unknown region. 

Hux was in some ways the biggest and the least problem. He was just taller than everyone else. He kept himself tightly contained, but even he had to stretch his legs occasionally, at which point someone would trip over them. Rey had tripped twice. Finn was the only one who didn’t trip. And that was only because he was so hyper aware of the General’s whereabouts at all time. 

Really, Hux kept his mouth shut and did what he was told. But Rey knew he was planning his escape. She couldn’t really worry about it while they were on the ship. What she could and did worry about was Finn. She saw the way he worked to avoid even looking at Hux. She hated seeing what being in such closer quarters did to Finn. 

Luke and Obi-Wan were worried too. Finn would slip sometimes, fall back on his Stormtrooper training, call Obi-Wan or Luke or Muln ‘Sir’. He would pull away from Rey if he saw Hux looking, like he was afraid, probably afraid for her. As soon as he pulled away he would look guilty. Sometimes he would take her hand. Sometimes he would cross his arms over his chest. He wasn’t okay. 

As far as Rey was concerned, the landing couldn’t come fast enough. She stood next to Finn as soon as they’d landed and gotten out of the straps. She grabbed his hand and let him lead her down and outside. Finn had taken her to the cockpit when they were outside of Coruscant so she could see the city-planet.

She wasn’t really impressed. It was too loud and too busy and even being outside of the ship wasn’t a total relief because there was still traffic and noise which Rey was not used to. Even being on Base wasn’t that noisy. 

“DAD!” A child’s voice cut through Rey’s thoughts. A little boy with blond hair and a weird hair cut came barreling at Finn. 

Finn dropped Rey’s hands and bent down. As soon as the boy ran into him, Finn scooped the boy up, holding him close. The boy looked too big to be picked up like that. But Rey knew from experience that Finn could pick her up and carry her. That she could do the same to him didn’t mean that it was any less sexy that he could carry her around. 

She was pretty sure that her uterus about skipped a beat. Watching Finn snuggling a young boy, one who identified him as “Dad”? She didn’t know just how appealing that was to her until she saw it with her own two eyes.

“Welcome home,” the boy said. 

“Glad to be home, Ani,” Finn said. He kissed the kid’s cheek and smiled. “Ani, I want you to meet some people. Ani, this is Rey Kenobi.” 

“Wow!” Ani said. He wiggled out of Finn’s arms. Finn let him go, a big smile on Finn’s face. Rey gulped. Damn, he looked amazing when she smiled like that. She focused on the boy, who was bowing. He straightened up really fast and smiled at her. “It’s great to meet you! Finn talks about you all the time.” 

“Really?” Rey asked. 

“Of course I do,” Finn said. He laid ad hand on the boy’s shoulders. “This is Anakin. We… uh… there was a formal adoption half a year ago.” He looked a little embarrassed, but Anakin was grinning as bright as the sun. 

“So, Anakin’s your son now?” Rey asked. 

“Me and Shmi raise him,” Finn said. 

“And Master Qui-Gon,” Anakin said, tipping his head up to look at Finn. 

“I’m pretty sure you raise Master Qui-Gon,” Obi-Wan’s voice said from behind Rey.

She turned to look at him. He had Hux. Rey as glad that she didn’t have to do that. She shot Obi-Wan a smile. 

“Don’t hurt him okay?” Finn said. His words shocked her. 

“I know, Finn,” Obi-Wan said. He gave Finn a very sad smile. Clearly he knew something that Rey didn’t. Rey would ask later, but now wasn’t the time. “I’ll come see you later, Anakin. Thank you for welcoming us back.” 

“Master Qui-Gon wanted to, but he’s in physical therapy,” Anakin said. 

“Ah. He’ll be grumpy then. I’ll come see him later,” Obi-Wan said. 

“You better, or he’ll be really, really grumpy,” Anakin said. He pressed back into Finn. Finn had his hands on Anakin’s shoulders. It was a familiar stance for them, Rey was certain. 

“Hey, Kid!” Muln said, coming down the ramp with Luke. Rey turned and watched them walk down. 

“Knight Muln,” Anakin said respectfully. He bowed again. 

“Looks like Jinn’s taming you after all,” Muln teased. He focused on Finn. “I’m going to give my report to the Council. I don’t suggest waiting long.” 

“I won’t,” Finn said. “I just want to finish introductions first. And please send someone to get Ren too. He’s going to need to be here for this one too.” 

“Something to do with the evil red head,” Muln asked. 

Finn grimaced. “Unfortunately.” 

“Lovely,” Muln said. “See you children soon,” he said, waving and then walking down the landing pad toward the Temple. 

“So,” Finn said. “Um… Anakin, this is Luke… my teacher and… your son,” Finn introduced. 

Anakin’s eyes got huge. “Wow, you’re old,” Anakin said. 

Finn gave Anakin a little swat. “Come on, your mother raised you better than that.” 

“Sorry, Dad,” Anakin said, turning a faint shade of pink. 

“Dad?” Luke asked. 

“Yeah,” Finn said. “We just… you know… we kind of clicked, and the adoption papers finally processed about half a year ago.” 

“Did you tell him?” Anakin asked, looking up at Finn. 

“Tell me what?” Luke didn’t sound particularly happy. 

Finn looked worried. He took a deep breath and let it go. “So… we took blood tests to check and see about if Anakin and Ren really were related. And they took mine to see if maybe they could find out what region I’m from.” 

“That makes sense,” Luke said, nodding. 

“So, they found out something else… they found that that Anakin and I were also related,” Finn said. 

“What?” Luke asked. Rey felt her mouth open a little bit. Did that mean- 

“They narrowed it down with further testing… Anakin is my great grandfather…. And that means you… would be my grandfather.” Sith hells! Finn looked so scared. 

“You’re… oh,” Luke said. Rey couldn’t look at Luke, she was too busy focusing on Finn, whose face was just crumpling. 

“You don’t have to act on it or anything,” Finn said quickly and too loudly. 

Luke started to move toward Finn. Anakin had to move out of the way, because Luke enveloped Finn in a tight hug. 

Anakin came to stand next to Rey. “He’s been really nervous about it,” Anakin told her quietly. “Ren didn’t react well.” 

“No. I can’t imagine that he did,” she said just as quietly. 

It took a few minutes before Luke and Finn separated. Rey watched Luke cup Finn’s face in his hands and wipe away his tears. 

“I’m so sorry, Finn. If I’d had any idea I would have come for you…. I didn’t even know I had a child,” Luke said. 

“I know you wouldn’t abandon us on purpose… do you know who my grandmother is?” Finn asked. 

“I do,” Luke said. “Not by name. She didn’t ask for mine either. But she told me her father was bounty hunter and Tatooine was a short stop for her. We were both 16. I only went into that Cantina on a bet…. She was a fierce woman.” 

“How do you know it’s her?” Finn asked. 

“I’ve only ever been with woman in my life,” Luke said with a touch of humor in his voice. 

Finn let out a watery laugh. “Yeah, I guess that would be her then,” he said. “What was she like?” 

“Very smart and funny,” Luke said. “And willing to put up with my… lack of understanding. She told me about traveling with her father. I was very jealous, really. She’d seen so many worlds… That was so long ago… Oh Finn.” Luke looked so sad suddenly. 

“What is it?” Finn asked. 

“My… my child would have had to be only 13 or 14 when they had you… That’s so young.” There was a lot of pain in his voice. 

Finn looked sad too. He wrapped his arms around Luke and hugged him again. Rey didn’t interrupt. They were leaning on each other. Rey felt a deep ache in her soul. Would her family ever grieve for the time they lost together? Luke wasn’t interested in women. He was married to a man whom Rey knew he loved. And he was grieving for his child and for Finn.

Rey looked down at Anakin. “Come on,” she said quietly. She nudged him further down the landing pad, so Finn and Luke could have some privacy. 

“What’s he like?” Anakin asked her. “My son?” 

“One of the best men I’ve ever met,” she said. “Finn takes after him a lot.” That seemed to reassure Anakin completely. 

“Dad’s the best,” Anakin chirped. 

“I agree,” Rey said. “So, I know you have a mom and a dad… would you like an aunt?” 

“Aunt Rey?” Anakin asked. 

“Yeah,” Rey said. She smiled at him. 

“Welcome to the family, Aunt Rey,” Anakin said. “Do you mind if I hug you.” 

Rey laughed and scooped Anakin right off the ground and squeezed him tight against her chest. Anakin laughed until he let out a squeak from her hug. 

“Don’t squeeze him to death,” Finn called. He and Luke were walking over. She could see both of them had red eyes. Luke was still wiping his eyes. Rey decided that if she couldn’t have a reunion like that for her family that she was glad that Finn got that. He deserved people who loved him. 

“Aunt Rey’s really strong!” Anakin called. 

“Aunt Rey, huh?” Finn asked. He was smirking a little. He came close and gave Rey a kiss. “I like it.” 

“Thanks, Finn,” she said. She was glad he was doing better. This was the Finn she loved so much. 

“Okay Ani,” Finn said. Rey put Anakin down so Finn could talk to him. “I need you to go tell your mother that we have people coming to dinner. And that Ren might be upset later.” 

“How come?” Anakin asked, cocking his head to one side a little. It was really cute.

“You know how you feel about Padme?” Finn asked. 

“How you feel about Aunt Rey?” Anakin asked. Clearly they’d had this conversation before. 

“Well, Ren feels like that about Hux. But Hux is a really bad man. The Jedi can’t just let him go. So Ren’s going to be upset,” Finn explained. 

Rey felt like there was a wash of ice in her veins. To hear Finn say it like that, to compare that monster and Ren to the relationship she and Finn had made her feel sick. 

“Okay,” Anakin said. He was very serious all of a sudden. “I’ll tell Master Jinn too.” 

“You do that. I have to take Luke and Rey to Council now. I’ll see you at dinner,” Finn said. 

“Okay,” Anakin said. He gave Finn a quick hug. “I’m glad you’re home.” 

“Me too, Ani. Me too,” Finn said. He sounded so tired. 

Anakin ran off inside and Finn turned to look at Rey and Luke. “Here’s what you need to know,” Finn said. “The Council is resistant to change. They didn’t want Anakin to be trained at all. Then they didn’t want Master Jinn to take him as a Padawan. They’re stubborn and they have been this way for a very long time. But we have a few friends on the Council. Master Yoda believes what I told say because I let him see into my mind.” 

“Master Yoda’s around,” Luke said. He sounded both fond an unhappy, which Rey knew defined his time with the Jedi Master very well. 

“And Master Windu and Master Koth are both my teachers… but you need to know that even if they accept you, they might not trust you… and you need to know that I believe that Hux being alive is going to be really important to keeping Ren on our side.” 

“Why do we need him?” Rey asked. “You have me and Luke now.” 

“Unfortunately,” Finn said bitterly. “We have things that we need Ren for. I’ll explain later. But I need you to both support keeping Hux alive.” 

“He’s a monster, Finn,” Rey protested. 

“Rey, he knows that,” Luke said. “He knows that better than anyone. You know he wouldn’t say this needs to be done if it doesn’t need to be done.” 

Rey looked in Finn’s eyes. Finn was furious. He hated Hux. Hux hadn’t just blown up and entire system, he had stolen Finn’s entire life from him. He’d owned Finn, used him and other children like him. Hundreds of thousands of children were still being trained to be soldiers, blindly loyal to the First Order. 

And Finn had to keep Hux alive. Of course that would be tearing him up.

Rey wrapped her arms around Finn and gave him a tight hug. 

“You know best on this,” Rey said. “I’ll support you.” 

Finn hugged her back before slowly pulling away. “Thank you.” He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “Come on, we need to head to the Council now.” 

Rey took Finn’s hand and allowed him to show her the way. She loved him. No matter how angry she was, she need to defer to him on this. He knew these people and he knew this time and right now she didn’t. She’d do whatever she could to help him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so begins part 2 of the story.
> 
> I really, really waffled about Finn's parents for a long time. When I ran the numbers on when Finn would have had to be born to match Luke's age, it turned out that Luke's child would have to have been around 14. And as much as I hated that idea, I suddenly got an idea about both Luke's lover, and about his daughter. I can't promise I will include her, but I would really like to. 
> 
> We also have the second batch of time travel. And it will not be the last. 
> 
> Thank you all so much for your support. I really appreciate it!


	9. Chapter 9

Finn let go of Rey’s hand before they got to the door of the Council Chamber. He glanced back at Rey and Luke. He considered for a moment standing to Luke’s side the way a Padawan was supposed to. Finn dismissed the idea quickly. Luke didn’t know the procedures yet, and Finn needed to be the one who controlled this meeting. 

The Masters knew Finn. A number of then trusted him. Master Windu was talking to him about the Trials and when Finn might be ready to be Knighted. Finn had the ear of the Master of the Order. He felt a little bad that he may be abusing that, but this was too important. The Council needed to know the truth and they needed to approve Finn’s plan. 

Knight Muln had waved as he’d passed them. He’d already given his report. Finn didn’t dislike the man, but it would be easier to talk if he wasn’t around. 

He stepped into the Council Chamber with Rey and Luke on his either side, both a step behind him. Finn had given a few reports to the Council now, since Naboo. He and Obi-Wan made a good team. Sometimes they would report together, and Finn would stand partly behind Obi-Wan, since Finn was a Padawan by official classification. Other times they would report separately. One time, Finn had gone on a mission as support for Anakin and Master Jinn. That had been interesting to try and figure out the order, since Padawans didn’t normally go on missions without their Masters, or with another Master/Padawan team. 

Finn bowed properly to the Council and straightened up. 

“Welcome home, Padawan Skywalker,” Master Gallia said. 

“Thank you, Master,” Finn said politely. He’d gotten a chance to meet with these people slowly over the years. Not everyone liked him, but Finn at least was familiar with them all. This was less terrifying than the first time he’d meet them all, when he was just desperate and uncertain of what would follow. 

“Knight Muln informed us that you picked up a few guests on your travels,” Master Windu said. “He informed us that you would be able to explain to us in detail what happened.” 

Finn settled his hand in front of him and laced his fingers. “There was another anomaly with the stone on Andvor.” 

“You were not picked up on Andvor,” Master Windu said. 

“No, but it is was the Will of the Force,” Finn said pleasantly. He’d heard Master Jinn say that to explain something the Council didn’t like. It was very hard to argue with. “I think that the Stone moves people not just through time, but also space, and possibly cannot keep them on Andvor. The mechanical problems that caused us to crash land on another planet put us in the place to find who we found.” 

“Knight Muln said there were three,” Master Depa said. 

“Obi-Wan has the third,” Finn said. “He’s putting him on lock down until we know what to do with him.” 

“We’re skipping a few steps, Padawan Skywalker,” Master Koth said. He sounded somewhat amused. Finn didn’t blame him. And Finn needed the reminder anyway. 

“Master, this is Master Luke Skywalker and his other student Rey Kenobi,” Finn said, introducing the rest of his family to the Council. A murmur went through the Masters. “They came with another man, General Armitage Hux of the First Order.” 

Master Koth sucked in a breath. Master Yoda looked troubled immediately. Finn could feel a reaction from Master Windu without him making any outward sign of recognition. Finn had told him in detail about General Hux and the Stormtrooper program. Master Windu was angry. 

“For those of you who don’t know, General Hux is the biggest enemy we’re facing in our time,” Finn said. 

“The second biggest,” Luke cut in. 

“What?” Finn asked, turning to look at Luke. 

“I’m sorry,” Luke said, flashing a soft smile. “I never told you about Snoke. In the First Order’s upper echelons they refer to him as the Supreme Leader. He’s a powerful Force user. He was whispering in Ben’s mind since he was a young child.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Finn asked. 

“Because when you first arrived to me you were still dealing with your injury and the programing you were trying to throw off. And Hux is easily Snoke’s greatest living weapon besides Kylo Ren... and because I knew you might run off to try and defeat him on your own to keep from Rey or me getting hurt.” 

Finn felt his face get warm. That sounded like a fair assessment of what he would have done. If he was back in their own time now he still might try to run off, and it would be a terrible idea. 

“Master Skywalker,” Master Windu cut in. Finn was a little embarrassed that he’d allowed himself to get so distracted. 

“I’m sorry, but I don’t know your name,” Luke said with his most pleasant smile and most pleasant tone. 

“Mace Windu,” Master Windu supplied. 

Luke brightened. “Finn has spoken very well of you,” he said. 

“He speaks very highly of you as well,” Master Windu said. “Now, this Snoke, do you think he will be a problem for us here?” 

“I… am not certain,” Luke said. “I’ve done a lot of research, and I have theories about who and what he is. He is very old. I imagine he is alive right now, but bidding his time, regaining power. He isn’t a threat right now. You have more pressing problems.” 

“The Sith Master,” Master Koth said. 

“Yes,” Luke said. 

“Know about him, you do,” Master Yoda said.

“I do, Master Yoda,” Luke said. He stepped forward to stand beside Finn. He opened his robe and shirt enough to show of the scars from the Sith’s lightening. “When I was still a young Jedi I faced the Sith. I was rescued by my father. Without him I would be dead.” Luke closed his shirt and robe again.

“Do you know the identity of the Sith?” Master Mundi asked.

“Of course I do,” Luke said. “He calls himself Darth Sidious.” 

“Kylo Ren and I have agreed to withhold some level of information,” Finn said quickly. “We worried that the information may lead people to act in haste.” 

Luke considered for a moment and then nodded. “I will speak with you then before I go further.” 

One of the Council members made a frustrated huff, but Finn didn’t see which one. 

“Thank you,” Finn said and then looked back at the Council. “I ask that Master Luke Skywalker and Rey Kenobi be allowed to train at the temple.” 

“Jedi, they are,” Master Yoda said. “No question there is of acceptance.” 

“Glad to hear I’m not too old,” Luke said with one of his overly warm smiled. 

“Hmmph,” Master Yoda said. “Jedi Master you already are. Your ways, different they are from what we teach. Rebuild the Order you have tried. A good student, Padawan Finn Skywalker is. A Jedi he already is in his heart. Need to learn what you know, we do.” 

Luke looked surprised but always very pleased. “I would be grateful to assist in any way I can, Master Yoda.” 

“What about the other one?” Master Gallia asked. 

“I have a request about him as well,” Finn said. “But I believe that you need to know a few things first. Under the Empire a powerful weapon was built.” 

“The Death Star,” Luke said, seeing where this was going. “It had the strength to blow up planets. It did, in fact, blow up one before it was destroyed.” 

“Which one?” Master Depa asked, leaning forward. 

“Adleraan,” Luke said. 

“Where General Organa was raised,” Finn added. 

“Because she was raised there,” Luke added. “We were able to destroy it. But they began building another one before the Empire fell. That one too was destroyed.” 

The Council was tense. That kind of destruction must seem impossible to them, especially because many of them knew people on Alderaan, and Senator Organa was so well thought of. 

“The First Order built another weapon,” Finn said. 

“Another Death Star?” Master Windu asked. He’d been able to contain his anger, but it was rising again. 

“It was five times more powerful. I watched it blow up not just up a planet, but an entire system, the Hosnian system,” Finn said. 

“A loss like that reverberates through the force. Obi-Wan, or Ben as I knew him then said that Alderaan’s end felt like millions of voice screaming and being snuffed out at once,” Luke said. The memory haunted him. Finn knew it did. 

“The Starkiller,” Finn said. “What the First Order weapon was called. “Also could shoot across systems, and harnessed power but absorbing suns. It destroyed two suns before we were able to destroy it.” 

“That’s billions of lives!” Master Piell called in shock. With the planets gone, the systems turned to ice planets and died. Nothing couple live without a sun. 

“Why are you telling us this now?” Master Mundi demanded. “Why didn’t you tell us this before?” 

“General Hux not only fired the weapon at the Hosnian system, he also helped design it,” Finn explained. 

That rippled through the Council. It rippled through the Force. Shock and agony and anger which Finn felt the Masters released to the Force or set aside to be dealt with when the time was more appropriate. 

“We cannot allow that man out among the people,” Master Piell said. “I understand why Master Skywalker said the man was a living weapon if he could cause that level of destruction.” 

“Not to mention the Stormtrooper Program,” Master Windu said. “We cannot allow him to poison anyone in our time. We cannot allow him out. If the Sith were to find him it would be to our doom. It may be to our benefit to stage a quiet execution.” 

“We can’t,” Finn said. “There’s something else you need to know?” 

“What more could their possibly be?” Depa asked. 

“Kylo Ren is his lover, and if we harmed General Hux, Kylo Ren would turn against us. I don’t need to have the Force to tell you that,” Finn said grimly.

“Sith,” Master Mundi muttered. 

“Told us that first, you could have not?” Master Yaddle asked, her eyes boring through Finn.

“I wanted you to understand why we have to keep him locked up,” Finn said. 

“Unfortunately,” Master Windu began. “We actually need Kylo Ren. If Padawan Skywalker is suggesting this, it’s because it needs to be done.” 

“How do we know that Padawan Skywalker isn’t trying to protect this man?” Master Rancisis asked.

“Because there isn’t anyone Finn hates more than Hux,” Rey cut in. She moved to stand on Finn’s other wise and took his hand. “I’m sorry Finn, I tried to keep my mouth shut, but it’s insane that they could think you’d ever want to protect that monster. Not after everything he’s done to you!” 

“Ms Kenobi,” Master Windu said, raising a hand. Rey shut her mouth quickly. “I was about to say, Master Rancisis that I don’t believe that is possible, given what Padawan Skywalker has described to me about the First Order and the Stormtrooper Program. If anything, Padawan Skywalker has great reason to want this man dead. That he is asking for clemency means more than if Kylo Ren asked, much more.” 

“If you are certain, Grand Master,” Master Rancisis said, although he still looked uncertain. Finn decided as long as they would agree now that it would be alright. 

“A suggestion,” Master Yaddle cut in. “A temporary stay we will provide. Under observation, this man and Kylo Ren will be. Right, Master Windu is. Want the General dead, Padawan Skywalker should. But cautious we must be.” 

Finn felt a bit of fear in his stomach. “So far, Kylo Ren has supported us because he sees the Sith as a greater threat then the Jedi. Which is saying something from a man who did his best to end Master Luke’s order.” 

Finn knew Luke had terribly guilt from those memories, but Finn needed to stress the seriousness of the situation. 

“Ben… Kylo Ren is my nephew,” Luke said. “I helped to raise him, and I know firsthand the disdain he has for the Jedi since Snoke whispered poison in his ear. My sister has maintained the belief that he could be saved. If he has not turned on the Jedi then I believe there may be cause for hope. At the very least, I’ve never known Ben to me someone you could get to do something he didn’t want without a huge fight and him probably getting his way anyway.” 

“That is not reassuring, Master Skywalker,” Master Depa said. 

“It is not supposed to be,” Luke said. “It is merely the truth. He does have disdain for the Sith as an organization and always has. He has very strong opinions on the Sith. He has very strong opinions, which he gets from both his parents. And he isn’t the best at keeping them to himself, which is again an inherited trait.” 

“Noticed this, we have,” Master Yoda said. 

Luke smiled wryly. “I suspect that Finn is right that if the General is killed that Ben will react terribly… Skywalkers love deeply.” Luke caught Finn’s eyes. Yeah, that was a good way of putting it. How Finn felt about Rey. How General Organa felt about her husband. How Luke felt about his husband. And how Ren felt about Hux. 

“If he can still love then there’s still a chance for something good in him,” Master Koth said. Finn smiled a little bit, pleased that Master Koth was taking his side like that. “But I also agree with Master Yaddle. We just need to tread very carefully and not jump to any decision we make. And we need to remember that this General Hux hasn’t done anything wrong in our time.” 

“Nor do we want to give him a chance,” Master Gallia said. “But I do agree we should be careful. And Ren and his lover need to remain under observation.” 

“Visiting hours?” Rey offered. “Like prison.” 

“Or the sick bay,” Finn said. They remembered those. 

“We’ll go with that for now,” Master Windu said. “We will revisit Padawan Skywalker’s request in a month. Until then, we will keep General Armitage Hux under guard and under constant supervision, especially when Kylo Ren is visiting.” 

Well, it wasn’t everything Finn wanted. But it would do for now.

* * *

Kylo Ren thought he’d been pretty good, all things considered. He allowed himself to be used like a training dummy. He studied healing with Finn and the Healers. He allowed someone to follow him all over the temple and he never left the temple without express permission from the Council. He also hadn’t broken things in months. 

In return, he should have been given the basic courtesy to know when Hux had been brought into the temple. Ren never said around Finn how important Hux was, but Finn was smart. He had to have known. Ren and Hux had a bond that Ren had forged at great danger to them both. And it had been painfully silent since Ren arrived in this time. The past few days something had changed over that bond, but Ren hadn’t noticed due to the interference of so many Force Users around. 

Ren had never been around so many Force Users, not even when he was in Luke’s school. Finn had admitted to it like a fish to water, but for Ren it was different. He held himself between Light and Dark, so he couldn’t just slip into the streams of Light like Finn did. It made that many people constantly jarring.

But now he knew.

Hux was here. He was here and he was locked up. Ren was pacing up and down the living room of Anakin and Shmi’s quarters.

“Soothe,” Shmi said, trying to make him calm. She did a really good job of calming him normally. It helped that she had birthed and lived with a child who was basically a Force Bomb. She at least knew how to handle someone powerful. 

Knowing her just made him all the more frustrated with his own parents. Shmi had been a slave. She had known that loving Anakin may only lead to heartache. But still she loved him with everything, provided f or him fully and did everything she could to make him feel like the galaxy had goodness in it. 

Ren had good memories he blocked out, memories of sitting in his father’s lap during warp jumps. Or his mother braiding his hair. But as time passed, those happy moments became less and less. Ren had someone else talking to him, and his parents hadn’t even noticed except that he’d become a problem to ship off to Luke because they were busy doing other things. 

It didn’t matter that the other things were rebuilding the government or ironically trying to squash rebellions.

There was a lot of static of silence in Ren’s mind since he’d been thrown head first into the past. But all it served to do was remind Ren of his own isolation since his birth. Shmi saw Anakin as a miracle, even though she’d suddenly become pregnant and had to raise a child on her own in some of the worst circumstances the Galaxy had to offer. His parents saw him as something to be fear. 

Shmi’s lack of fear kept him grounded. Currently, it kept him from breaking everything he could get his hands on. 

Ren could feel the approach of people. He turned and barred his teeth as some of his least favorite people in the galaxy came tumbling in the door.

To be fair, Ren didn’t actually dislike Finn anymore. They were sort of like partners in crime at this point. Finn let Ren teach him things Ren would teach his Knights. Finn managed to stay firmly in the Light while still dabbling in the Darkness. It was a little galling, since Ren had trouble staying in the Darkness but making use of the tools of the Light. But Finn was just someone who had an easier time sticking to his decisions once he’d made them. 

And he and Finn actually got along, in a strange way. 

But that would probably end now that Rey and Luke were there. Certainly, Ren wouldn’t expect anything less than Finn spending time with his lover. And Ren was certain that Finn would understand why Ren needed to be with Hux. At least the Finn Ren had come to know the past three years would. That Finn valued true family and well made plans. Hadn’t Ren sat with Finn for hours at a time, talking about battles and maneuvers that could have been made and what the affects would have been? Ren was certain that Finn could give Hux a run f or his money. At the very least, Finn knew tactics, the down in the dirt planning that had to happen on the fly, better than Hux ever would. Ren had never known anyone as good at strategy as Hux, not even his own mother. 

But Rey and Luke hated Ren. And Finn was emotional. He would always choose Rey and Luke first. Ren wasn’t stupid enough to think otherwise. If they wanted Hux dead, then what hope did Ren have of getting through to Finn? 

And Obi-Wan… well, that was a different story. Obi-Wan would support whatever the Council decided. Ren had never expected to like the man he was named for. He knew Obi-Wan had nearly killed his grandfather. And he knew Obi-Wan of Luke’s memory spoke in the riddles and lies that Ren hated fro mhis own mother. 

But this younger Obi-Wan was almost a friend. Certainly the darkness in Ren didn’t keep Obi-Wan from working with him or talking with him. Obi-Wan was the one who teased him about being Sith, just to annoy Ren. The humor had shocked Ren, but he found he also liked it. Sarcasm ran in his family, and he found it sexy in his lover, and reassuring in a friend. 

If he had friends. 

“I half expected you to be trying to see Hux,” Finn said when he saw Ren. 

“Obi-Wan told me to wait here,” Ren said through his teeth. 

“They’re processing him and they’ll let you see him in a few hours,” Obi-Wan said. “He’s going through medical right now, please don’t worry.” 

“You can’t keep him from me,” Ren snapped. 

“Ren, calm down,” Shmi said. She guided him onto the couch. He knew what she was doing. She was trying to get him to calm down. But tension reigned in his body. 

“They won’t keep him from you,” Finn said. “Come on, have a little bit of faith in me.” He moved away from Luke and Rey. Ren saw the girl reach out for Finn, but Finn didn’t even seem to notice. He walked right over to Ren sand sat down in front of him on the low table in the middle of the Skywalker’s seating area. 

“How can I? You hate him,” Ren said.

“I do,” Finn said. “If it were up to me I’d ignite my lightsaber in his eye.” 

Ren flinched. There was no hesitation in Finn’s words. Ren would be jealous of many things about Finn. His unwavering nature of one of them. His commitment and dedication was incredible. If Finn had been brought to the Darkness he would have fought with everything. He wouldn’t have hesitated to kill Han Solo. 

But Finn also would never do that. He was a kind heart. 

“But,” Finn pressed on. “I know you love him. I would no more separate Ani from Padme,” Finn said in a soothing voice. He rested his hands on Ren’s knees. 

Years together made this kind of contact comfortable and commonplace. It was only that Ren was so hyper aware that Luke and Rey were there that made him realize how odd this must seem to an outsider, especially outsiders who knew them from before. 

“It’s not the same thing and you know it,” Ren said, still sounding accusatory, but also not as assertive. Finn fought for him? 

“It’s not,” Finn admitted. “I told the Council exactly the type of man Hux is. He can’t be allowed to walk freely in this world.” 

“I walk around just fine,” Ren said. 

“With an escort,” Finn reminded him. “And let’s be honest: he’s much, much more dangerous than you are. You can cut through hordes, but he can inspire thousands. We’ve been talking about the Clone Wars. Imagine that but Hux leading? Taking orders from the Sith? How would that go?” 

“Hux would dominate,” Ren admitted with a touch of pride and a touch of fear. “The Separatists would win.” 

“But before that it would be long and bloody. And when the Sith came to power, he’d make Hux a Grand Admiral,” Finn said. 

“He would also do his best to raise the Hux who will born here later,” Luke said. “To shape a second one.” 

Ren shivered. He hated that idea. He despised it.

“He can’t leave the Temple,” Ren said. 

“Yes,” Finn said. “But I’m also going to fight for his life, because I know how important he is to you.” 

“Oh, Finn,” Shmi said quietly. She was leaning on the back of the couch near them. Her presence was calming. Ren knew it was in part the Force. If the Council ever officially acknowledged her skills, they would be fools not to send her out with Mediators. Her power to soothe others would calm even the strongest hot heads. Ren was proof to that. 

“So… are they planning to execute him?” Ren asked. 

“From what I could tell, it threw your motives into question the most,” Finn said. “If they can see that you love him without question, then I’m certain they will decide in your favor.” 

“Then what do I do?” Ren demanded. 

“They’re giving you daily visiting hours. You spend every second with him. You follow all of their rules about him and try to act like yourself otherwise,” Finn said. “Your visiting time will include guards for at least six months.” 

“There goes our sex life,” Ren grouched. 

Shmi laughed behind him. Finn smirked. “Like you’ve had much of one for a while anyway.” 

“And he did find out who you really were on the trip here, so he might not want you to touch him for a while,” the Girl added too cheerfully. 

Finn grinned broadly. “Oh yeah, I forgot about that. Good luck with that.” 

“I hate you so much,” Ren said with not a drop of malice in his voice. In truth he couldn’t hate Finn anymore if he wanted. His hatred felt… blunted, and had for a while. He didn’t even feel like he hated Rey and Luke. Their presence was mostly terrifying. Ren couldn’t lose Hux. He just couldn’t. 

Finn gave Ren’s knees as squeeze. “You going to be okay to have dinner with us?” 

Ren looked at Luke ad Rey. “I may go visit Qui-Gon.” 

“Great, Obi-Wan hasn’t gone to see him yet,” Finn said brightly. 

“You’re lucky I don’t hate you with that attitude of yours,” Obi-Wan said, crossing his arms over his chest. “Come on, Ren. You need a chaperone.” 

Obi-Wan needed it more than Ren did. Ren was more trusted to wander on his own than Obi-Wan was trusted around Qui-Gon alone these days. 

Ren stood up and turned to look at Shmi. “Thanks,” he said a little shortly. Normally he would be more effusive with her, but he didn’t want Luke or Rey to think badly of her, just because Ren liked her. 

“Come on,” Obi-Wan said. 

“Lead the way,” Ren said. He didn’t say goodbye. Obi-Wan at least waved to everyone, but Ren kept to himself. 

They walked silently down the hallway toward Qui-Gon’s rooms for about half the trip. Obi-Wan was the one who broke the silence. 

“Would you like to have Finn’s room?” Obi-Wan asked. 

“Why would I need it?” Ren asked. 

“Finn requested a space for him and Rey, and it was approved,” Obi-Wan said. “Shmi might like living by herself, but you’re close, so I wanted to offer.” 

Ren thought about it for a moment, and then decided that he couldn’t decide anything until he’d seen that Hux was safe. 

“I’ll think about it,” he said. “But you should ask Shmi if she even wants me there.” She might like not having to share space with anyone. Ani still had his room there, but it wasn’t used much anymore, since he lived with Qui-Gon now. Ren doubted she’d had something that was only her own space since she was enslaved, if she’d had her own space before that. 

“You can ask her,” Obi-Wan said. He rolled his shoulders. Ren knew he was nervous. 

Mace Windu had done his best to keep his quiet, but people in the temple knew now how Obi-Wan felt about Qui-Gon Jinn. Obi-Wan was logical enough to know that unless he was going to tell the man, he really needed to keep his distance. But Ren didn’t know how Finn and Obi-Wan’s friendship had survived Finn telling on him like that.

“So, am I your escort?” Ren asked, smirking a little. He didn’t actually like the way Obi-Wan winced. Obi-Wan was slightly more open with people he trusted. Allowing such a strong physical reaction must have meant that Obi-Wan didn’t want to mention it out loud. “So, that’s a yes then. Is this a rule or something?” 

“A strong suggestion,” Obi-Wan said quietly. 

“Does he know?” Ren asked quietly. He knew Qui-Gon didn’t. He was always so hurt and sad when Obi-Wan ignored him or suddenly pulled away. 

“No,” Obi-Wan said. “I don’t want him too.” 

Ren didn’t push for more answers. They’d arrived anyway. Obi-Wan was an adult. He wasn’t a Padawan anymore. He could make his own choices. And maybe it was safer for him to keep his distance. Ren had hazy memories of healing Qui-Gon Jinn. It was just a lot of work, but he remembered having to monitor Obi-Wan and block him when he got too close to giving too much. 

The door opened for them without them having to knock. Obi-Wan swallowed a bit and stepped in. Ren followed after him. 

“Qui-Gon,” Ren said. 

“I didn’t expect to see two of you,” Qui-Gon said. He was leaning on the can he’d been given once he left the Healers. Ren had such a struggle to keep him alive that he’d end up diverting energy from some of Qui-Gon’s extremities. The leg was the only true casualty. Qui-Gon was lucky he only had a limp. He probably should just stay in the temple, but he was going out on missions with his Padawan, hence why Anakin was always complaining about having to poke his Master into going to physical therapy.

“Luke and Rey appeared on our mission,” Obi-Wan said. “And Ren’s lover. It’s either have him here or stalking around the halls scaring people.” 

Qui-Gon smiled a little. “Here is better, but certainly Shmi would be happy to have him.” 

“And what an awkward family dinner that would be,” Ren said. “I’ll cook,” he added. He slipped right into the kitchen.

He couldn’t see Hux yet. But he would be able to. Ren had people on his side. Obi-Wan had to keep himself away from the man he wanted. Ren could be an escort and still allow them a small privacy. Ren still didn’t see why Obi-Wan shouldn’t be happy, but he wasn’t going to truly interfere. 

He began looking for ingredients. Obi-Wan’s Force Signature still permeated this place. It wasn’t just because he’d lived here for all these years. Ren wasn’t certain if Obi-Wan did come by more than Ren thought, or maybe someone was putting work into keeping that feeling of Obi-Wan around. 

Ren decided that he wasn’t asking those questions either. He could feel contentment from the living room, even without being connected with either Qui-Gon or Obi-Wan. No matter what, they had a strong relationship, no matter what feelings were attached to it. 

Ren mused that maybe he was more of a match maker than Finn would give him credit for. Ren quickly shook his head. He grabbed a put and started water boiling. He just needed to keep his hands busy and not rush making dinner. He could do that. He had learned to be much more patient over the years. He would see his Hux soon. Hux was close. Ren could feel him in their bond. 

Soon.


	10. Chapter 10

Finn was quite happy to have been assigned rooms of his own. Well, for him and Rey. There was one big bedroom and one big bed that Finn was pretty certain the temple had to purchase instead of going into the stores like they normally would. Rey, Shmi, Ani and Luke helped Finn move. He hadn’t realized how many things he’d actually gathered. 

He had the plants that Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon had given him, which Rey loved instantly and found a place for them as soon as they arrived in the new quarters. There were the rocks Finn picked up every place he went, wanting to be able to touch a feel a bit of the feel of each place Finn went to. Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon had a collection of souvenirs as well. Finn had his collection of pictures from places he’d been and with the people he cared about. He had the clothes he’d bought off world. All of the things he’d brought with him to the temple, including the jacket he’d once gotten from Poe, which he still wore over the more traditional Jedi clothes that Finn now favored. 

There were statues he’d bought at markets, long flowing cloths that Finn had bought with the hope of being able to give Rey something beautiful to wear one day. He had his own set of cooking pots, pans and utensils and dishes that he bought with the money he got from the temple. Finn had a number of cooking texts he’d collected on his adventures as well. He found he really enjoyed trying to make new things. It was like an adventure you could eat. 

He even had preferred pieces of furniture that Shmi relinquished, pleased to pick out new furniture of her own. 

“This place just feels like you,” Rey said once they’d gotten everything arranged. She didn’t have anything yet but what they’d been able to wrangle from temple supplies. It hadn’t been anything to move Luke either because he too had nothing. 

“It’ll feel like you after a time,” Finn promised. 

The door trilled its little ring and Finn waved a hand, opening it with the Force. Rey grinned at him. 

“I like how easy that is for you now,” she told him quietly. She grabbed his jacket and dragged him into a kiss, which Finn returned. 

“You know, most people attempt to kiss behind closed doors, not open ones,” Master Windu’s voice cut in.

Finn blushed, but he was laughing too. He pulled Rey into a hug and turned to look at Master Windu who had come in and shut the door behind him. He had a wrapped gift in his arms.

“I’m not used to having to hide it,” Finn said. “You missed move in.” 

“Oh no, however will I recover from my loss?” Master Windu’s voice completely without inflection. Rey giggled against Finn’s chest and then pulled away. 

“Did you bring Finn a housewarming gift?” she asked. 

“Actually, I brought you one,” Master Windu said. 

Finn could feel Rey’s shock and tentative hope. Finn wanted to hug Master Windu. Rey hadn’t even been that close to Poe because the only people Rey really knew were Finn, Han Solo and Luke. And Han Solo had been dead for a number of years now. And Luke kept Rey isolated for training and safety. Rey would feel awkward around all these people. But Master Windu was already making and effort with her. 

Finn nudged Rey forward. She walked over and accepted the box. “Thank you,” she said quietly. She was looking down at the box and not at Master Windu. “May I open it?” 

“Of course,” Master Windu said. 

Rey walked over to the low table in front of the sofa. She set the box down and sat. She examined the box for a moment before she carefully tugged on the ribbon so it fell away. Then she pulled off the top of the pretty box. She let out a soft gasp. 

Finn stayed still as Rey carefully pulled a small potted plant from the box. It was a succulent, green, thick and healthy. 

“Finn told us you were from Jakku originally. I found this in a market a few years ago, and have been caring for it. The seller told me it was native to Jakku,” Master Windu explained. 

“It is,” Rey said quietly. She delicately touched the spiny little leaves. “Thank you… Master Windu,” she said. She looked up at him. Her eyes looked a little red with tears she didn’t want to shed. She offered a wobbly smile. 

Finn moved to her side and pulled her into a tight hug. She buried her face in his shoulders. He didn’t make her speak. He understood. Even though he hated the First Order, there was still a part of him that ached for the familiar black of the halls and white of the other Stormtroopers. He wanted to be back in the bunks where it was easy and he only had to followed orders. 

Rey had a lot of pain associated with Jakku. He doubted she ever really wanted to go back. But he also knew that she had felt homesick for the familiar routine. That small piece of reminder could be so emotional and so grounding.

Rey took only a bare few moments to put herself together. She wiped her eyes and stood, with a big smile on her face. “I really love it. Thank you. It will be the start of my things in our new home.” 

Finn’s heart did a funny little dance. For him, the Temple was home. It was where his family was. Now with Luke and Rey there he didn’t feel like he needed anything or anyone else. He had so many people who loved him here. He was listened to and respected. One of the people Finn cared about most had brought a gift to Rey to make her feel welcomed. 

“Oh, Rey, I have something for you as well,” Finn said, getting up and heading for his room and some of the boxes they’d shoved under the bed. 

“I already saw what you got me,” Rey called after him. She’d been very impressed and flattered by all the pretty things Finn had bought with her in mind. 

“No, this is special,” he called over his shoulder as he dove under the bed. 

“I’ve learned it’s best to just let him do whatever it is had him so excited,” he heard Master Windu say quietly to Rey. Finn blushed a bit, but that was cleared up as soon as he found what he was looking for. He wiggled back out from under the bed and headed directly to Rey. 

“Is that this Sith’s lightsaber?” Master Windu demanded, loud only from shock. 

“Yes,” Finn said. He turned on one side of the blade and then the other. Rey’s eyes got huge. She accepted it when he handed it to her. The look her face was like Life Day had come early. 

“Oh! Finn! It’s amazing! Where did you get it?” She asked. 

“Had to kill a Sith for it, but I put it aside so that we could learn how to make you one…. But you should keep this one,” he said. 

“Finn, you should have turned that over to the temple for study,” Master Windu chastised. 

“Yes, but this way Rey doesn’t have to make another one to join our little Sith team,” Finn said, grinning. 

“Your what?” Rey asked, looking up from the blades she’d been lovingly examining. 

“Part of causing problems for the Sith is that Ren and I pretend to be Dark Side who get in the way of the Sith’s plans as well as they Jedi’s… This way you can join us, help us cause all kinds of problems,” Finn said. 

Rey grinned and turned off the lightsaber. “Sounds like fun. I don’t want to work with Ren, but I’d love to work with you again.” 

“You will,” Finn said. He dragged Rey into a hug. He pulled away a little so she could look at the lightsaber. “See how it doesn’t even need external exhaust ports? It’s really stable.” 

“Much better than Ren’s,” Rey said smugly. Finn kissed her forehead, amused by her pride in that. 

“Well, I suppose it’s good to know now what a matched set you are,” Master Windu said, rubbing a tired hand over his face. 

“About that, Master Windu,” Finn said. His smile dimmed a little and he became more serious. “I would like to request that you teach Rey the Vapaad. I think she’ll be more suitable to learning than I am.” 

“Luke agreed already,” Rey said quickly. Finn had already told her and Luke that they’d need Luke’s permission for a lot of things because the temple would defer to Luke as their Master. 

“Would he like to learn as well?” Master Windu asked. 

“Luke’s requested to not be present when you’re teaching Rey and I the Vapaad,” Finn said. “He’ll make a formal request, but he told me it was alright to explain if you asked.” 

“Your Master is very informal,” Master Windu noted. 

Finn smiled at him. “You didn’t notice that before?” he was teasing. He knew Master Windu had to. Finn was very obvious about it all. 

“Why does he not want to be there?” Master Windu asked, giving Finn a look that told Finn to stop fooling around. 

“What I told you about Luke’s father, which I showed him and Rey what I’d learned, he said that he’d faced the technique before in his father… when he was Darth Vader. I think that’s how Luke lost his arm.” 

Master Windu let out a long sigh and scrubbed his face with both hands. “Alright. I’ll have a talk with your Master when I finish here.” 

“Thank you, Master Windu,” Finn said. 

“Master Windu?” Rey asked. “Would you like to join us for dinner?” 

“I would like that very much,” Master Windu said. 

“Let me put my plant away and I’ll get started,” Rey said cheerfully. She put her lightsaber down to pick up her plant and find a spot for it on one of their tables. 

The pieces of his life were really beginning to fit together. Finn couldn’t think of much that would make him happier than what had already happened. Rey and Luke, but especially Rey. Master Windu trying to make Rey feel welcome. It was overwhelming to Finn in the very best kind of way.

* * *

Mace smiled to himself as he headed down to see the other new resident of the Jedi Temple. Dinner with Finn and Rey had reminded Mace of one of his early missions where he’d ended up lost on the wrong planet. A lovely newlywed couple had picked him up and brought him home for dinner. The way Rey and Finn teased each other. They shared a gentle kind of romance. They laughed easily, shared kisses and touches like not touching was the worst thing that could ever happen to him. 

Mace did not want to take bets on how long those two kept their clothes on after he left.

That awkward thought aside, he still buoyed by the way the Force danced with their happiness. 

He still felt warm and happy as he knocked on Luke Skywalker’s door. 

“Coming,” Luke called. It took a moment for the door to open, but Mace was quickly met with the warm smile of Luke Skywalker. “Sorry, I haven’t quite figured these doors out yet. Do you need something, Master Windu?” 

“Do you mind if I speak with you?” Mace asked. 

“Please, come in,” Luke said, stepping side. 

Mace stepped in and shut the door behind him. Luke let out a quiet laugh. 

“Thank goodness, it would have taken me an embarrassingly long time to figure out how to get that done,” Luke said. “I’m afraid I don’t have a lot to offer right now. But the couch is comfortable.” 

“I just had dinner… with you grandson.” He was probing if Finn had told Luke, and not at all subtly. But Luke’s smiled shifted to something a little sad.

“Yes, Finn thinks very highly of you,” Luke said. “I guess you came to talk to me about the Vapaad?” He moved to sit on the sofa and Mace followed him. Both of them dropped onto the couch. Mace had to wonder if it was a Skywalker skill to find the most comfortable pieces of furniture in temple storage. Shmi and Finn’s couches were both also obscenely comfortable. 

“Finn’s told me about Anakin’s potential future,” Mace said. “A long time ago.” 

“Does the boy know?” Luke asked. 

“No. Finn has requested that the few of us who know keep it to ourselves for now. But I wanted to hear from you. Finn knows many things second hand-”

“But he never saw the Empire,” Luke said. “Or the Emperor.”   
“He thinks of Anakin Skywalker as the child who constantly follows at his heel,” Mace said. “I want to know what he was like as a man.” 

“I didn’t know him when he was a Jedi,” Luke said. “When I first met him I watched him kill Obi-Wan. This is after the Empire had blown up Alderaan and killed my Aunt and Uncle. When I found out he was my father… well, he’d just kidnapped my friends and cut off my hand. I can’t say I took it well. Master Yoda insisted that I needed to get over my anger and hatred. But He and Obi-Wan both though I should kill him.” 

“Both you and Finn said he saved you,” Mace said. 

“He did,” Luke said. “Do you understand the concept of Force Ghosts?” 

Mace stiffened a bit. “I have heard of the concept. But it’s not been practiced for-”

“A very long time. Where I’m from, Master Qui-Gon was the first to do so for a long time, and much of what he learned as trial and error, trying to help Obi-Wan. I only spoke with him a few times. He’d exhausted himself trying to help Obi-Wan and Yoda make the transition smoothly,” Luke explained. 

“They trained you then,” Mace said. They were far afield of their topic. But while Mace had gotten some concept of this from Finn, it was different with Luke. Luke knew two of the people who Mace knew and respected because of this technique. 

“Yes,” Luke said. “And my father made the transition as well. He lasted the longest… until Ren… and after.” There was lot of pain in his voice. “My father loved Ben completely, you understand. Ben had such a strong connection to the Force that he could see and hear the Force Ghosts even when I couldn’t. When he was baby he would stare off into what appeared to be nothing because he was listening to my teachers talk to him.” 

“I haven’t heard him mention that,” Mace said. 

Luke smiled in a way that was both sad and wistful. “I doubt he remembers. Snoke was whispering in his ear very young. Father was distraught when Ben stopped hearing him. They were… close when Ben was young. Before Ben left he screamed at me for making him thinking he could hear things that weren’t there. Snoke had convinced him that the mentors he loved weren’t real.” 

Mace felt himself shiver. Isolation. A young boy with exceptional power had been isolated until he felt he only had one friend in the universe. 

“Why are Rey and Finn the only students you have?” Mace asked. 

“Because Ren killed the others,” Luke said. There was a deadness in his voice. It wasn’t hatred, it was just grief, so deep it would never heal. 

“I’m sorry,” Mace said quietly. 

“My father was inconsolable. Obi-Wan told me that was how he felt when he came home to the temple and found the Younglings my father had killed.”

Mace’s voice caught. Knowing the Jedi were gone were different than hearing details. 

“Master Yoda faded a long time ago,” Luke said. “Master Qui-Gon has such a weak hold that he shows up rarely. I know my father’s still there, but he can’t face me some days.” 

“And Obi-Wan?” 

“He’s determined to help where he can. He and Rey talked sometimes… I’m sorry, the original topic got away from me. What I meant to say was that my father told me a few things. I knew him better in death than I ever did in life,” Luke said. 

Mace let go his feelings to the Force. Nothing had happened yet. There was still time to stop these things from coming to pass. 

“What you want to know is how dangerous Anakin Skywalker is,” Luke said. “The answer is very dangerous… But a large part of that is because he, like Ren, was targeted from a young age by a very smart, very dark mind. I can’t say the worst won’t happen. But I think, given what I have seen already that there’s a good chance things will be alright.” 

“I can’t tell if you’re optimistic or-”

“Or blinded by hope,” Luke said. “Yes, my sister says the same thing. The truth is that I don’t know. But I know that my father was redeemed because he saw me falling and moved to catch me. He saw the lies that his Master had laid down for so long. He accepted reality as truth finally… and he allowed his love for something to save him. I had already made my choice, that I wasn’t going to kill him. Without his interference, I would be dead and the Rebellion and many of our hopes. He broke what he’d built for me.” 

Mace sighed and rubbed his forehead. “You don’t give easy answers, do you?” 

“That’s not my job, I’m afraid,” Luke said, sounding a little amused. “I am simply here to speak the truth.” 

“Finn said that your father knew the Vapaad?” Mace asked. 

“He was very good at it,” Luke said. “I agree with Finn’s assessment that Rey will do better at it than Finn does. She does a better job of riding the edge of her emotions but not allowing her to lead her astray. Finn doesn’t like getting too close to his anger.” 

“He does make good use of it,” Mace said. 

“Because outside of my sister, I have never met a more practical minded person in my life. And even she’s afraid of what her gift with the Force can do. Finn isn’t. He sees it as useful, that it can be used as a weapon. It was a struggle to help him find joy in it as well.” 

Mace nodded, understanding what he meant. “He has found joy now.” 

“In people,” Luke said. “In helping the people he cares for. And stopping others from being hurt.” 

“You should come watch regular practice,” Mace said. “Watch Finn and Obi-Wan spar. I promise you that he doesn’t just use the Force as a shield. He is happy here.” 

“I can see that he is,” Luke admitted. He let out a little laugh. “I never thought I’d see him and Ben get along.” His smile and laughter faded. “They should have been raised together. It’s wrong, what happened to him, and my child…. Force, I don’t even know the gender of my own child.” 

Luke sat forward and covered his face with his hands. Mace didn’t really know what to do. Luke wasn’t a friend. But he was another Master. He had suffered being alone, trying to raise Jedi out of the ashes of the failure of Mace and the other current Masters.

Mace laid his hand on Luke’s shoulder. “It doesn’t change the past, but Finn is here now. He wants a family. He’s wanted you to love want him even before he knew. He has Anakin and Shmi and still wants you. He speaks to well of you.” 

Luke pulled his face from his hands and wiped his eyes. “I’ve made so many mistakes in my life… If I ever get back I’m going to find my child… if they’re still alive. I’ll make certain Finn knows who is parents are. And his grandmother. He deserves to know not just my side of the family.” 

Mace smiled a little. “He would like that, I’m sure.” 

“Thank you,” Luke said. His eyes were still a little damp, and his face was a little red. There was a kindness to him. Mace was overwhelmed, knowing that Luke was the legacy of all of them. He was a man who could face down two Sith, the Sith who destroyed all the rest of them. And he walked away as the soft, smiling soul who sat across from Mace. 

“Finn is a credit to you, Master Skywalker. He is your kindness,” Mace said. 

Luke laughed a little. “He’s his own kindness. I have no faith that given what he grew up with that I would have turned out so well. My aunt and uncle showed me love since the day I was brought to them… Finn’s found love recently. That kindness may be a little of me, but that innate will to do right is his own. His strength is more him than me, I promise you that.” 

Mace nodded. Mace had known Finn longer, but that didn’t mean that Luke didn’t have the size of him as well. “I must admit I’m very jealous of you,” Mace admitted. He leaned back on the sofa.

Luke laughed richly. “Whatever for.” 

“If Finn had been available, I’d have taken him as my Padawan,” Mace said. 

“I don’t mind sharing,” Luke said. “It’s normally me teaching a number of students. Rey and Finn need what can be taught here.” 

“And we won’t to know what you know,” Mace said. “A Padawan may have more than one Master, but a Master may have only one Padawan.” 

Luke laughed again. “That doesn’t make a lick of sense for me to follow.” 

“No, it wouldn’t,” Mace said. 

“If you want to take Finn as your Padawan, you may,” Luke said. “I assure you that Finn would be honored to have you.” 

Mace hadn’t considered this possibility before. He had wished he had gotten Finn as his Padawan. He’d fantasized about helping a much younger Finn make his first lightsaber, and helping to guide Finn toward his Knighthood in the traditional path. But Mace had never considered that Finn’s Master would be willing to allow Mace to take on Finn as well. 

But it made sense from Luke’s point of view. There were things Luke couldn’t teach Finn. And there were things Mace couldn’t teach. And Luke had another Padawan who would also need extra guidance. 

“Thank you, Master Skywalker,” Mace said. 

“Luke is fine,” Luke said. “You may have noticed that even Rey and Finn call me by my first time. When you’re surviving in the middle of nowhere, you tend to not stand on titles me.” 

“We did notice,” Mace admitted. “But we do here. It’s different with your students.” 

“It’s different with me,” Luke said. “If anyone asks why I prefer to be called by my first name instead of my titles, I will tell them it’s what I prefer, even though I know it is normal.” 

“And if we end up with a rebellion of younglings wanting to call Masters by their first name?” Mace asked, equal parts amused and horrified at the idea.

“Then I’ll quell the rebellion,” Luke said. “I’m shockingly good at that.” 

Mace leaned back more into the sofa. He allowed them to lapse into a comfortable silence for a moment. Luke didn’t seem to mind either. Mace had much to think about already. He allowed himself a moment to integrate what he’d already learned.

“I want to talk to you someday about your life,” Mace said. “Not all the details exactly. But I know that you have tried to keep our traditions alive… I want to know more about you, and your sister. If you don’t mind.” 

“I don’t,” Luke said. “I agree with Finn and Ben that there are certain things it may be better to be careful discussing. But my life is so separated from this. There’s a lot I don’t know and can’t fill in. And what I do know may help.” 

“Certainly we never get to hear first hand about someone building a Jedi Order,” Mace said. 

“Yes,” Luke said. “Mace, do you mind if I call you Mace?” 

“No,” Mace said. 

“Mace, I like to think we might be able to be friends,” Luke said. 

“I think so too,” Mace said.

* * *

Finn smiled at Rey. He smiled every time he saw her. He had a problem not smiling when he saw her. Seeing her was just so much better than not seeing her. He loved Anakin and Shmi dearly. He even liked Ren a little bit. But none of them were Rey. No one could replace her in his life. Watching Anakin carefully wording letters to Padme was as sweet as it was painful, because Finn saw himself in Anakin. But he also had seen his own isolation from the woman he loved so dearly. 

When they’d been on Ahch-To they’d shared their own shack. They were constantly doing repairs to it, and they had to cook in Luke’s shack. But it was theirs. Still, they’d had to be somewhat quiet and careful. This was different. No one would walk in on them in these new quarters. They could lock their doors and take their time. 

And Finn was going to take his time. Rey was wearing one of his shirts, one of the ones he wore when he wanted to look like a civilian. He knew that was all she was wearing. He was already down to just his leggings. Rey was smiling at him too.

“That fresher just wasn’t big enough for everything I want to do,” Rey said. Finn laughed a little, but he already agreed. They hadn’t done anything when they stayed in his room. It was too close to Shmi and Rey was still nervous about Shmi liking her. Shmi was as close to a mother as Finn got in his life, and Rey wanted to impress her. 

Also, Anakin had slept in his old room. Finn knew the walls weren’t thin, but he didn’t want to test how thin. Rey wasn’t very good at being quiet anyway. And Finn didn’t want her to have to be either. 

“It’s not right for you to walk around looking that good,” Rey said. “Those leggings need to be illegal.” Finn smirked and slowly spun around so she could get a better look. Rey let out an appreciative whistle. 

Finn crawled right into bed and put his arms around her. Rey snuggled her back against his chest and Finn caught her hands. They twined their fingers together. Finn liked doing this. He liked the way his skin looked next to her. He felt darker, richer, more himself. The way she raised one of his hands and kissed the back reminded him of how attractive she found him. 

He’d had offers occasionally when he was off world on a mission. He knew he was a handsome man. But none of those offers for casual sex made him feel as sensual and honestly beautiful as the way Rey did when she ran her fingers down his skin like he was a treasure she was discovering. 

Rey turned around to look at him. They’d kept the lights on. They were different people. Three years was a long time to be apart. They didn’t want to hide any of their changes. She wasn’t smiling. Her eyes were examining his face, the cut of his hair, which had grown out since she’d last seen him, but which he had actually styled. When he didn’t have to worry about regulation, he realized that he was happily vein about his hair. 

And Rey just wasn’t about her own. If she could keep it out of her way, it was fine. But he could see that she liked what changes she saw in his face. 

She kissed him. He opened his shields and she opened hers. Finn knew how to make actual bonds now. He hadn’t told Rey this, but he wanted to bond with her. He also wanted to do so when they weren’t missing each other like a drug. They needed to be able to think when he talked about what he wanted to do. And Finn didn’t mind waiting. Touching each other’s minds thee way they always had was every bit as perfect as Finn remembered. 

Rey had missed him like a limb. He could feel that. She felt like half of herself had gone away and suddenly she’d had to live on as if she didn’t know how much of her was gone. Finn hadn’t had that feeling. If anything, he felt more assured of who he was than he had before they’d been separated. But Rey had always been more assured in herself. Finn had never had a chance to learn who he was when he’d been a Stormtrooper.

But Finn also felt the loss of her. Having her at his side again made him more. He pulled away from their frantic kisses so they could calm. 

“I’m sorry I took so much of you away with me,” he said quietly. 

Rey looked sad. “I… I’m not really. I know what I can stand, what I can lose. I know that I could survive without you.” 

“But now you don’t have to,” Finn said. 

“And I’ve never felt you be so… alive before. This was good for you, being here,” she said. “We both know how to be lonely.” 

“Don’t be lonely anymore,” Finn said. He cupped her face with one hand. The other hand was still holding hers, their fingers still laced. Finn kissed her forehead. He sent her warmth and received love in return. 

“You’re not lonely,” she said. 

“I could be,” Finn said. “I wouldn’t say I have friends here, because the divide between ranks is enforced. But… I have people who like me, respect me, and who want to be around me… and I have a family. But I was lonely without you. I missed you too much not to be lonely. With you here I don’t need any more.” 

“You sure know how to sweep a girl off her feet,” Rey said. She was grinning again. Finn smiled back her. He felt so terribly fond of her that it made his chest hurt. 

“Only for you, Rey,” Finn said. 

Rey captured his mouth for a warm kiss. It didn’t last very long, but when she pulled back Finn still felt breathless. 

“I had no idea what it would do to me to see you raising a child,” she breathed out. 

Finn’s stomach flipped over. “Wha- what did it do to you?” he asked. 

“You have no-” she kissed him, cutting herself off like she couldn’t help herself. “No clue how attractive you look. You look so… argh, I don’t know. It’s sexy Finn. It’s super sexy. It was fun talking about having kids with you. But now I know I have to. I’m not going to be able to keep my hands off you. But I want to be part of that with you.” 

Finn let out a soft laugh. “I didn’t forget, Rey,” he said quietly. He drew her into a short kiss. “I knew how much you wanted kids. How much I want them too. Being with Anakin reminded me of the life we talked about for ourselves after the war.” 

“You still look sexier than you have any right being when you’re taking care of him,” Rey said. It was a growl, really. Rey got a little predatory when she got that turned on. Finn didn’t mind being prey when she got like that. 

“Let’s get naked,” Finn said. 

“Nu-Uh,” Rey breathed. “I’m getting naked. Then I’m undressing you.” 

Finn nodded in agreement. She wanted it like that? Well, so did he. He sat on his hands to keep from touching her until she was ready. He watched her pull his shirt off. He knew Rey had new scars, ones he didn’t know. And he would get time to know them later. 

Rey had even more muscles that he did when they first met. She’d always been fierce. She was the half feral child of sand and sun. He was the over controlled son of metal and fire. But now he more than a warrior. He was a mind in a fight. He was love and philosophy. And Rey was strong legs running through a jungle, looking for signs of weakness, looking for people she loved instead of waiting for no one to return. 

“I want to kiss you,” he told her. They’d read things about how this type of relationship worked. And then they worked it to suit their own needs. Finn didn’t want to ask for permission like she was his commanding Officer. And Rey wasn’t good at guessing what he wanted.

“I want to kiss you too,” Rey said. She offered him a soft smile. She kissed him. Finn melted into it. Rey guided his hands to her hips. He gripped her there and let her guide their kiss. It was a fierce as she was, and that made him melt.

She guided him down. He kept his hands on her hips, holding her steady. She didn’t let him lay fully until she had a pillow properly settled under his head. Then she crawled back down his body and rolled his leggings down off his body. Finn watched her do it. She couldn’t stop touching him, which made her undressing of his take longer. If he wasn’t so turned on it would be funny. When she finished she threw the leggings aside and sat next to him, just looking at him. 

It was only fair, because he was still looking her up and down, taking in those difference. But the silence quickly stretched out longer than Rey would normally allow it when she was in such a dominant mood. 

“Good?” she asked eventually. She almost seemed distracted.

“Absolutely,” Finn said. “What are you thinking about?” 

Rey sat up straighter and looked down at him. Her hair was out of its normal ties, and lay over her shoulders and back. She looked raw and totally herself. Finn was reminded of the nights they went swimming alone. Rey was just a part of everything around her. 

Finn closed his eyes and watched the way the Force moved around her and between them. They just fit so well. She wasn’t something he could describe. She was too much as once. She was everything. And maybe it was his biased imagination because he loved her so much. But it was what he saw whether he had his eyes opened or closed; whether he looked at her with the Force or with his own eyes. 

“I’m thinking about what I want to do,” she said. “Normally I’d say don’t touch until I say okay… but it’s just been so long.” 

“Well, then why don’t we do something else?” Finn offered. “I missed the taste of you.” 

Her eyes lit up. She let him flip them so she was laying down and he was laying with her legs over his shoulders. He didn’t have to be told how she liked this, he remembered. Rey wasn’t about foreplay or subtext much. When it was for him he would go very slow, taste and tickle all over her body. She would be vibrating with need before he ever put his mouth on her clit. 

But this time was for her. Rey wasn’t up to waiting that long. So he simply began with no pretext of anything but making her nerve endings light up. Rey began panting almost immediately. 

It had been a while since he’d done this, but he remembered her well. She was his only lover ever. What he forgot he quickly remembered. And if he didn’t, he was smart enough to follow her directions. She didn’t have to speak in words for him to understand. 

Rey gasped, panted, moaned, screamed, begged, whined with pleasure. He could feel what she felt with their shields down the way they were. The same way she could feel his pleasure at her reactions and the satisfaction of a job well done. 

She was hot and wet and like he remembered. It wasn’t hard to lose himself in the moment, in her, in them. He had to grab onto his shaft to keep from coming. It had been such a long time that it was hard for them to discern whose pleasure was whose. Rey let out a frustrated groan when he stopped himself from coming. Clearly she was having the same problem. 

He shifted up a little more onto his knees, just to have more space. He started stroking himself, going slow. It made him sloppier about what he was doing to Rey, but she threw her head back and absolutely screamed. 

Finn’s orgasm him first. Rey screamed like it was her own, because with their shields down and their connection, it might as well have been. Finn had trouble figuring out what was even going on for a moment expect he could still feel a throbbing need. He touched himself and then winced. He was little oversensitive. Rey hissed as well.

That was what he needed to figure out what was even going on. He put his tongue back on her, swirling once around her clit before going back to what he’d been doing before he got the idea about giving her an early, psychic orgasm. 

Rey was emotionally wrung out, but he still got her to scream her voice out when he got her to her own orgasm. It hit him every bit as hard as it hit him. It was all he could do to move to he could collapse next to her on their new pillows. 

They lay panting there for long moments. As always, it took a bit to resort themselves mentally. They closed up their most personal shields, and then they were able to just bask in their own afterglow. 

Rey rolled onto her side and started to wipe Finn’s mouth. He let her. He just lay still and let her take care of him. 

“You’re brilliant,” she whispered to him. 

He offered her a tired smile before closing his eyes. They were totally jumbled up in the Force. He could still feel her like she was next to him, even when she got up to clean herself up. She felt like she was still laying at his side. Rey returned quickly enough with a damp cloth and cleaned him up. He could physically feel her do this, but he had no need to do anything but watch her in the Force. 

He only opened his eyes when she had snuggled into his side and pulled the blankets over them. 

“I love you, Finn,” Rey said in a tired little voice. Finn opened looked at her for a moment before he put his arms around her and hugged her close. 

“I love you too, Rey. Get some sleep,” he said. 

“Okay,” she mumbled. She closed her eyes and passed right out. Finn spent only a minute or two watching her sleeping face before he closed his eyes and let himself drift off as well.

He felt like he was home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't remember the last time I wrote a het sex scene. 
> 
> So I think now's the time I mention I'm super duper white and if I just really mess something up, please tell and I will do my best to fix it.


	11. Chapter 11

Rey was excited to get a chance to practice with her new lightsaber. Finn had a hard time making her stay still to eat breakfast and drag her to morning meditation before practice. 

“I really want to try it,” she said as they headed to Luke’s room to pick him up for meditation.

“I really want to see you use it,” Finn said. “I think we’ll be able to figure out how to make you one that didn’t belong to the Sith.” 

“Pssh, no point wasting this,” Rey said. What was the point of not using what they already had, after all? That was how she’d inherited Luke’s last lightsaber. He’d been able to build his own, and she had felt attuned enough to his that it worked just fine for her. 

“Well, you should learn how to do it anyway,” Finn said. “And people get worried when they see red lightsabers. They think it’s evil.” 

“That’s stupid. How can I color be evil?” she asked. They had arrived at Luke’s door.

Finn shrugged. He knocked on Luke’s door and then put his arm around Rey and gave her a short kiss. “I don’t know, Rey. But I know that you’re going to be great at this.” 

“Good morning to you both,” Luke said, stepping out of his room and shutting the door behind him.

“So you got the door worked out?” Rey teased, smiling warmly at Luke. In many ways he was the father she’d never had. Which was maybe a little weird, since her lover really was Luke’s grandson. But nothing about the Skywalker family was normal and one day (hopefully in the not too distant future) she would marry into it. 

“Your Master Windu showed me,” Luke said, nodding to Finn.

Finn lit up. “Yeah, Master Windu is pretty great.” 

“I found him enjoyable company,” Luke said. “We talked about you a lot, which was very pleasant.” 

“What did he say?” Finn asked. 

“Well, I’m not certain I should be the one to tell you, but he and I discussed that a Padawan can have more than one Master. He would like to take you on as his Padawan,” Luke said. He was smiling like early morning sunshine. 

“Oh! Finn that’s great!” Rey exclaimed. She gave her lover a tight hug. 

“Are… Luke, are you sure?” Finn asked. “You’re still my teacher. You’re the reason I’m here at all.” 

“I will still be teaching you, I assure you,” Luke said. “But he’s more suited to taking you through the Knighting process here at the temple. Which I think will be better for you. Plus, he loves you. He wants to help you as much as he can.” 

Finn was beaming brightly. “I doubt he’d say it like that,” he said, sounding amused. 

“Just because he can’t figure out the words doesn’t mean it’s less true,” Luke said. 

“True,” Finn admitted. His smile was so wonderful. Rey felt her chest squeezed. She wondered how long she was going to keep feeling like Finn’s smile was the best sight and the world. And how long she would feel like she had really lost something those years of separation. And how long she would keep hurting when she saw that smile. It was such a ridiculous hurt to feel, since Finn was right there. But it was like some part of her hadn’t realized she didn’t have to miss him anymore because he was right there. She was just so used to missing him.

“We better go or Anakin’s going to be grumpy,” Finn said. 

“That’s the last thing we need,” Rey said, glad his voice had cut through her thoughts. Apparently she needed the meditation more than she’d wanted to admit. “Lead the way.”

Finn took her hand and led them down the hall. Anakin had invited them to his early morning meditation and the kata practice. Finn had told Rey that he often went to meditate with Anakin and Qui-Gon, since he meditated more easily in the company of others and because he’d been the first one to teach Anakin how to meditate. 

Neither Rey nor Luke had gotten a chance to meet Qui-Gon Jinn as a living human before, and Rey had to admit she was really excited, especially since he was her grandfather’s teacher. And now he was Luke’s father’s teacher. And he’d helped Finn when he’d first arrived, although Rey got the feeling that Finn had learned more from Obi-Wan than from Qui-Gon.

Finn led them to a garden, one of many in the temple. Apparently they were carefully maintained, since many of the plants didn’t get actual outside air or actual sunlight because of how tall the temple was structured, and how dense the city was. 

Shmi had told them that the lower levels of the planet, where the poorest citizens lived, never saw sunlight at all. The idea alone made Rey clausterphobic, and she was very glad she didn’t actually have to go down there. 

“Dad!” Anakin’s voice loudly filled the small garden. 

“Patience, Padawan,” came a much older a quieter voice. 

Finn nudged them toward the voices. He went ahead, walking forward and opening his arms, which Anakin ran right into. 

“Good to see you too, Ani,” Finn said. “Thank you for agreeing to have us, Master Qui-Gon.” 

“It’s no problem, Finn,” Qui-Gon said. Rey and Luke rounded the corner and got a good look at him. 

Rey wasn’t certain what she was expecting. Really, the only difference between the Force Ghost she’d once seen and the man already seated for meditation was that the man wasn’t see through, and also he looked older. It was rather anticlimactic. 

Finn settled down on the grass next to Master Qui-Gon. He, like she and Luke preferred to sit legs crossed, but Anakin dropped onto his knees like his Master. 

“Master Qui-Gon, this is my Master, Luke Skywalker. And this is my lover, Rey Kenobi,” Finn introduced. 

“Master Skywalker,” Qui-Gon said, offering a small but pleasant smile and a tip of his head. “Anakin has spent most of the evening talking about you.” 

Luke let out a warm laugh. “I believe my sister and husband would both tell you that sounds like the type of thing I would do.” 

“Guess it runs in the family,” Anakin said with a big smile. “Does your sister do that too?” 

Luke a little sad. “Not that I’ve ever known. But you should have heard her go when she and Han started arguing. It was impossible to get a word in. We all just learned to walk around them, or through them when that happened. They never noticed.” 

“Did they argue a lot?” Anakin asked, sounding confused. “That doesn’t sound like love.” 

“Ren and the General are like that,” Finn said. Anakin wrinkled his nose, which made Finn laugh. “I know. There’s no accounting for taste.” 

Rey was busy smiling at Anakin and Finn, it took her a moment to realize that Qui-Gon was looking at her. She looked back at him, resisting putting on a sour look. She wasn’t on Jakku. She didn’t actually want to ward this man off. She wanted to get to know him. 

“Yes?” she asked, going for the type of smile General Leia had taught her: polite but giving away nothing. 

“You’re Obi-Wan’s granddaughter then?” Qui-Gon asked. “He mentioned that he’d met you, but he wasn’t very forthcoming on details.” 

“I’m certain I’ve already bragged enough that there’s nothing else to fill in,” Finn said. 

“And I don’t know him well yet,” Rey said. “And he went off with Ren anyway, so I haven’t gotten a chance yet. Though I was hoping to at practice this morning.” 

“I think we should wait for that until later,” Finn said, suddenly sounding cautious. 

“Why?” Rey asked. 

“The lightsaber I gave you… well, it nearly killed Master Qui-Gon,” Finn said. 

“Oh,” Rey said, realizing why Finn was trying to get her to make another one. It would be very awkward to carry around the one she had been gifted so proudly. 

To her surprise, Qui-Gon let out a soft laugh. 

“And people accuse me of being a rebel,” Qui-Gon said. 

“Aw, they wouldn’t know a real rebel if they fell over one,” Anakin said, making all three men either laugh or chuckle. 

“No offense Master Qui-Gon,” Finn said. “But you’re pretty tame compared to what we’re used to.” 

“At the very least you have standard rules to follow,” Luke said. “You have no idea how many times I’d have Obi-Wan or Yoda screaming at me that something wouldn’t work until suddenly I did it.” 

“That sounds like you,” Finn said. 

“Actually,” Qui-Gon said. “That sounds like you, Finn.” 

Rey could feel Finn’s embarrassment, but she reached out and gave his hand a squeeze. “We come from a time when rebellion is normal. You can’t expect any of us to stay still for too long. It’s not in our blood.” 

Qui-Gon shook his head. “I do and do not see Obi-Wan in you.” 

“Well I’ve only talked to him a few times,” Rey said. “I’m not surprised a lot hasn’t stuck.” 

“I see,” Qui-Gon said. He was still examining Rey. She could feel the gentle probes of the Force against her. They weren’t intrusive, just curious.

“So, shall we start?” Luke asked. 

Without another word they all settled in. Rey liked meditation. It made her think of quiet mornings in her AT-AT. Those special mornings were rare. But sometimes she would have earned enough food that she could take a day off. She would sit inside and watch the sand. It was peaceful, warm and easy. 

She drifted away in the Force, allowing herself to be open to it. This place was filled to the brim with other Force users. The Force sang with a certain type of joy at the presence of so many who would listen to it, and understand its presence. 

No wonder the Jedi liked living here. Even if it was in the middle of an ugly, crowded city, at least they got to feel all of this every day.

* * *

Obi-Wan normally listened to the Force. It was the way of the Jedi, but sometimes an annoying nudge from the Force would get in the way of something he wanted to do. He liked morning practice because he knew he would see Master Qui-Gon there. He could spend a bit of time with him, helping out with Anakin or Finn. It wouldn’t seem like he needed an escort to see his old Master. 

And really, he wasn’t required to have an escort, just heavily, heavily encouraged to. 

Two years ago, Master Windu had made certain to severe the Master/Padawan bond Obi-Wan had shared with Qui-Gon. It had hurt, especially since Qui-Gon had only just woken from the coma he’d been in after the Sith had nearly killed him. The Council had declared that after facing off against the first known Sith in a millennia and assisting to keep his Master alive, that he had passed a trial great enough to be Knighted. 

Qui-Gon wasn’t well enough to be at the official ceremony, but Master Windu had walked with Obi-Wan down to see Qui-Gon so Obi-Wan could hand over his braid. 

Obi-Wan hadn’t been completely alone with Qui-Gon since then. He knew logically this was for the best. His over attachment to Qui-Gon hadn’t disqualified him from being a Jedi Knight. But Obi-Wan needed time to allow his feelings to temper themselves. 

He’d said some horrible things to Finn in that early in those two years, things he still felt terrible about. He’d apologized. Finn forgave him, but Obi-Wan still felt a lingering anger. It might be easier to accept if Finn didn’t completely accept that Obi-Wan should be angry at him. Logically, Obi-Wan knew that Finn’s attachment to Rey was different. He’d never put her life above a mission. He’d even accepted that he needed to stay in a time not his own, separate from her even though he missed her greatly. 

Obi-Wan knew that his feelings had kept him vulnerable and he had nearly killed himself trying to keep his Master alive. He’d made the healing more difficult because both Ren and Finn had to worry about him and keep him sedated to keep him alive. He’d made things harder because he’d allowed his fear to claim him.

Which was why he abided by the suggestion that he keep his distance. He went on a lot of solo missions. He went on a lot of missions with Finn. He’d even managed a few missions with Kylo Ren. Mostly he stayed out of the temple and allowed himself to be his own Jedi. But when he was back at the Temple, he didn’t want to avoid Qui-Gon or Anakin. Which was why he did his best to always make morning practice. 

As soon as he got into the training salle he saw why the Force had been trying to warn him away. Rey and Finn were training together with Master Windu, who was looking immediately exasperated. Finn had his normal lightsaber, but Rey had a red lightsaber, a Sith lightsaber, the one Obi-Wan dreamed about in his nightmares. 

And Master Qui-Gon was standing nearby watching with Anakin like this was perfectly normal.

Obi-Wan stood stock still as Master Windu stepped aside and let made the hand motion for ‘start’. 

Finn and Rey started clashing almost instantly. 

In the back of Obi-Wan’s mind, the part that was a Jedi Knight, he could see how good they were. Finn had been training with Obi-Wan for three years. Rey had been training with their master for even longer. Obi-Wan remembered Finn’s somewhat unconventional style, but it was nothing compared to Rey. 

Finn had mentioned more than once that Rey used a staff and had for years. That was obvious the way she fought. She didn’t tend to any of the blunt dramatics of the Sith they killed. Rey went with quick strikes, no acrobatics and a total focus on disarming Finn. She was brutal. 

Finn danced around her, showing off what he learned as much as Rey was showing off. 

“You okay, Obi-Wan?” Ren’s voice breathed into his ear. 

Obi-Wan actually jumped. He’d been so focused on the fight that he hadn’t even noticed Ren had snuck up behind him. 

“What?” Obi-Wan asked, trying to get his calm back. 

“Are you okay? You look very pale,” Ren said. Ren laid a hand on his shoulder and Obi-Wan relaxed a little. Ren was almost a friend. Well, more than almost. Ren was closed off. He spent most of his time with Anakin, Shmi or Finn; his family. But Ren spent a significant amount of time with Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon as well. He didn’t really connect with others at the temple the way Finn did. Ren never even spoke to Obi-Wan’s friends whenever he came to speak with Obi-Wan about something and Bant or Garen was around. 

Obi-Wan wasn’t even certain he liked Ren. But it was like Ren was smelly cat he’d brought home to clean up and it just stuck around. And everyone accused Qui-Gon of taking in strays. 

“Rey, her…” What did he say? How could he explain how not okay he was seeing that thing again? 

Ren looked past him to the staff. “The last time I fought her she gave me a scar to remember her by. Maybe I want to not practice right now. Will you be my escort?” 

“Yes,” Obi-Wan said, grateful for the excuse to go. He allowed Ren to steer him out of the training salle and down the hall. 

“I didn’t realize anyone had retrieved that thing,” Ren said once they were away from the sounds of people and practice. 

“Finn always said he wanted Rey to have a lightstaff,” Obi-Wan said. He should have realized.

“I don’t know why you would have thought he’d do that. That’s the type of thing I would do. Not Finn,” Ren said. 

“Clearly it is something Finn would do,” Obi-Wan said. He didn’t feel angry, just… startled? No, hurt. He had to remember all over again nearly losing the person he loved the most. He had to remember the stupid desperation he’d under taken and the fear that had driven him to the point where the Master of their Order had to keep watch over him to keep him alive. 

“You could tell him,” Ren said. 

“It’s not that important,” Obi-Wan said. 

“Since we’re not telling Finn things,” Ren said. “How about we commit another bad idea and you take me to see Hux?” 

“Sounds lovely,” Obi-Wan said. He wasn’t surprised that was where Ren wanted to be. And they had told Ren to wait until morning. And he had waited. Obi-Wan wasn’t feeling particularly like asking if it was okay. 

The Jedi Detention Center had held Kylo Ren when he’d first arrived before he’d been moved to a room of his own. For now it was keeping Ren’s lover until they could decide what to do with the man. Obi-Wan talked with one of the guards, who was less happy about allowing Ren in, but Obi-Wan promised he would be there the whole time.

The guard let them in, and Obi-Wan got a good look at the man who had been a silent companion on their journey home. Obi-Wan knew the man had been allowed to bathed and been checked by the healers. He’d even shaved since Obi-Wan had last seen him. His red hair hung loose, though it was combed like it might have stayed in a military style if there was any product in it. 

It was a little hard to look at the man and see what Ren saw in him. Obi-Wan had an easier time thinking of the monster who kidnapped children to turn them into slaves to fight and die for an ideal, who built super weapons and brought whole systems to their knees. Completely Force Null, and yet so powerful that Obi-Wan could see it even without trying to see the Force aura around him. 

“Ren,” the man said tightly. 

“Hux,” Ren said. He walked over to his lover, but the other man pulled away. 

“I understand you’ve been lying to me,” the man said with a sneer. “Ben Solo.” 

Ren winced. “I haven’t gone by that name in a long time.” 

“Are you a spy?” Hux demanded. 

“No. The Supreme Leader instructed me to not tell anyone,” Ren said. 

“Well,” Hux said with a sneer. “That explains why you were so distracted when Starkiller was destroyed. You were busy destroyed evidence.” 

“I was told that I needed to face Han Solo in order to be able to complete my training,” Ren said, temper in his voice. “I was doing as I was told.” 

“And you chased after Luke Skywalker for what? Petty revenge?” Hux demanded. 

“Because I was told to,” Ren said. “You don’t ignore a direct order from the Supreme Leader.” Ren had bitterness in his voice. 

Hux glanced up at met Obi-Wan’s gaze. He sneered again, but Obi-Wan could see the pain in his eyes. “I see you replaced me easily enough. Betrayed the Order, sided with the opposition and found someone new.” 

“Hux, Obi-Wan is here only so I could see you. He’s my friend, not my lover,” Ren said. “And there is no First Order here. No Supreme Leader. But there are other people here I need to take care of.” 

Hux laughed, a harsh sound. “You have friends? Since when? What could you possibly have here to protect?” 

“My grandfather,” Ren said. 

“Oh yes, Darth Vader. I remember when the news broke. War heroes, General Organa and Luke Skywalker, the spawn of the Emperor’s right hand,” Hux said with a nasty smile. 

“Hux, shut up,” Ren hissed. 

Obi-Wan felt like the world tilted a bit. He’d always wondered why Kylo Ren had such an interest in his grandfather when Obi-Wan knew they never met. The idea of Anakin being Sith was galaxy shattering. Did Finn know? He had to know. 

“What, did you not tell everyone here? Weren’t you so damn proud? I saw that mask in your room. Darth Vader’s burnt out mask with his skull inside? You think I didn’t realize how much you idolized him? You aren’t subtle Ren,” Hux said. 

Obi-Wan thought he might be sick. Anakin’s skull? The thought turned his stomach. 

“He’s a little boy, Hux!” Ren snapped. “He doesn’t need that burden and no one needs to know, since it won’t happen! I’m not going to let it!” 

Hux seemed taken aback. Obi-Wan certainly was. Ren was protective of Anakin, but Ren was still dark side, and if his grandfather was such a source of pride, then he should be trying to convert Anakin, not help him not become Darth Vader. 

“You’ve changed,” Hux said quietly. 

“It’s been three years. Of course I changed,” Ren said. He sat himself on the bed next to Hux. “But I never stopped loving you or missing you. I’m not leaving you again. I can’t. It will kill me.” 

Hux glared at Ren for a moment before his shoulders dropped. “You’re just going to keep following me around again until I relent, aren’t you?” 

Obi-Wan could hear the smile in Ren’s words. “Of course. I’m incorrigible, remember? You always say so.” 

Hux grabbed Ren’s hair and dragged him into a kiss. “You were gone for so long. All of us thought you were dead. Your Knights held a pyre for you.” 

“I’m sorry, I couldn’t return home, but we have been trying,” Ren said. 

“You and the traitor,” Hux said. 

“Finn,” Ren said firmly. “Who is my cousin.” 

“How?” Hux demanded. “How is that even possible?” 

“Luke had a kid, apparently,” Ren said dryly. “He’s my cousin and I love him no less than I love Anakin or Shmi. They’re my family.” 

“You don’t have a family,” Hux said. 

“I do now,” Ren said. “And it’s not my parents or my damned uncle. It’s these people who love me and support me… and you. You’re my family.” 

“You realize that at least one of those people hate me,” Hux said. His hands were still in Ren’s hair. Ren kissed Hux’s lips and then his nose. 

“I know. But you are here and alive and physically okay. I’m not going to ask for more than that.” Ren laid his head on Hux’s. 

“How long can you stay?” Hux asked quietly. 

“Whenever they make me leave… just try and help them, alright? Answer the questions. The First Order doesn’t exist now. There’s nothing to betray. And Finn said he’d fight to keep you alive,” Ren said. 

Hux scoffed. “He hates me.” 

“But he’s my cousin… and he’s a good man, though I hate to admit it. He can hate you forever and he’d still try and save you because he wants to not hurt me… so for now they’re keeping you here,” Ren said. 

“Under arrest, for what, something I haven’t done yet? If I believe this whole time travel thing,” Hux asked. 

“I am also under Temple arrest except for the occasional supervised mission. I was in one of these rooms for a while. I have a room of my own, and even though I have a Jedi escort-” Ren nodded his head toward Obi-Wan, “it’s not so bad.” 

“I will never understand how you can accept things as you do,” Hux said. 

“Because I’ve been here for three years. I’ve gotten used to it,” Ren said dryly. He put his arms around Hux and settled close to him. “You have no idea how much I’ve missed you. You’re a part of me that I have been missing. There are no words to explain the depth of what I feel for you, nor my devotion to you.” 

Hux was silent for a moment. Obi-Wan knew the man was taller than him, but Hux looked small when he was pressed against Ren like that. There was no denying how protective Ren could be, but Obi-Wan didn’t think of him as gentle until now. 

“They’re keeping me prisoner, Ren,” he said. “I can’t live like this.” 

“It’s not forever,” Ren said. “I won’t let you waste away. I would never allow that.” He kissed the top off his lover’s head. Obi-Wan felt distinctly uncomfortable. He didn’t belong in this conversation at all.

Obi-Wan looked away, deciding to try and not listen. He knew he should, but Ren had given him ample privacy with Qui-Gon. The pair of them stopped speaking so loudly as well. They pressed their heads together and whispered to one another. Obi-Wan tipped his head up and looked at the ceiling.

Ren wasn’t even a good person. Everything he did to help was steeped in a sense of selfishness. He was protective of Anakin because Anakin was his grandfather, apparently a Sith who Ren had admired. Shmi provided the type of mothering Ren felt he lost from his own mother. Finn was his cousin and family. Supporting the Jedi was only to support Anakin and his own family. Now he would fight for the life a man he loved. 

Not enough bad could be said about Ren’s lover. The man enslaved children, used twisted versions of Jedi training to force those kids to be loyal only to the First Order. Hux had destroyed five planets, more than that if he’d destroyed two suns to power up the weapon. The man was the figment of death and misery. 

And yet the Universe gave the man permission to love freely. And he did. And someone loved him desperately in return. Sometimes the Force just confused Obi-Wan. It had given them a chance to stop as much evil from happening, and yet it brought them the man who committed many of the atrocities. It brought him because he was the beloved of one of the men most able to help them get ready for the coming storm. Useful, yes. But hardly fair. 

He picked out those bitter feelings and released them to the Force. Even Ren, a man with two feet in the darkness, was able to wait and be patient to see his lover. Obi-Wan needed to work on himself. That was very clear now. Whatever he felt or wanted, it wasn’t that they didn’t matter. It was that he needed to work on his ability to set them aside when the time called for it. 

He’d spent the last months tearing himself between trying to stay away from Qui-Gon, and trying to sneak in eextra time to be around him. Instead he needed to accept that he loved Qui-Gon Jinn. He needed to accept that his feelings were not wrong, or bad. He needed to accept that Qui-Gon may never love him back in the same way. But that was alright. 

Obi-Wan was many other things besides Qui-Gon Jinn’s former Padawan. And he was many other things besides a man who loved Qui-Gon Jinn. But he was also those two things as well. They were part of what made who he was. It was alright, good even that he could love someone so much. But he needed to allow himself equal time to be other things as well. 

And that didn’t mean running or sneaking around. He had known this of course, but knowing it in your mind and knowing it in your heart were different things. He was visited by clarity now. He didn’t quite know how he would go about the changes that needed to be made. But he was a Jedi Knight, and he had faith that he could figure it out.

* * *

Mace was honestly enjoying himself. He knew he should probably be annoyed or exasperated. Rey Kenobi showing up so openly with a Sith’s lightsaber had caused quite a stir. Of course the man the lightsaber had nearly killed had stood off to the side and looked terribly amused by the whole thing. Mace was willing to be annoyed with Qui-Gon, but he decided that he wasn’t really all that annoyed. After all, he was enjoying himself.

It wasn’t that Rey was a joy to teach, not like Finn anyway. Finn absorbed things he was taught. He was polite, inquisitive and quite brilliant. Rey lacked manners, but she was good. She didn’t try to copy exactly what he showed her. Instead she accepted the teaching and combined it with what she already knew. She wasn’t like any student he’d ever had, which he was grateful for but it also made the lessons fun.

He realized he was in for a different kind of day when Finn and Rey began their sparring match, testing each other’s skills. Most Padawans favored one form or another. Most Jedi favored a form or two, even though a level of mastery for every form was required to be Knighted. But since the forms were taught separately, all Jedi, even the masters who blended styles, still had a recognizable form they stuck to. 

Not Rey Kenobi. Her technique was a blend of every form, every style. There was no connection, no finesse. But there was real skill and drive. Her stances were good. Every specific motion she went through had a fluidness to it. And she was able to translate forms easily into a weapon she’d never practiced with before. 

Luke told him that Rey had fought first with a staff, so really, Rey Kenobi was blending what she’d taught herself with what Luke had taught her.

That unknown fighting style nearly caused Mace a heart attack when fought Luke Skywalker. Once Finn and Rey Kenobi had finished their match, Mace suggested he and Luke spar. Mace learned instantly where Rey Kenobi learned her all of style. Mace was reminded forcefully that Luke hadn’t learned from a Master the way Mace or any other Jedi had. He had a handful of Force Ghosts, whatever sparse records he could find and his own ingenuity. 

Luke had invented that blended style, which Mace was certain would be terrifying to any Jedi or Sith he faced. It was like battling an avalanche. Luke Skywalker had the same type of power as his Father, and yet he had training and control and years and years of experience to back up what he could do. And because Mace was so practiced in the traditional Jedi forms, it made Luke a tough opponent because any time Mace thought he knew what Luke was going to do, suddenly Luke would do something so wild that Mace had to work fast to overcome his blade of body not being in the right place. 

“That was a good match,” Luke said with a big smile when it was over. 

“It seems that our students won’t be the only one learning something,” Mace said, wiping his brow after he’d turned off his lightsaber. He’d won because he’d switched to Vaapad, which was more than a little unfair, since Luke recognized the form and it broke his concentration long enough for Mace to break his defense and score the point. 

“It seems so,” Luke said. “If you don’t mind having a student as old as I am.” 

“If you don’t mind having a student as old as I am,” Mace retorted, completely amused. 

The next hours were devoted to their students. Mace began with thee Vaapad. In some ways, Finn was the perfect candidate to learn Mace’s form. He was a kind soul that reveled in the light, but he had a soldier’s understanding of necessity. Mace wasn’t really worried about losing Finn to the Darkside. But Finn didn’t enjoy the form at all. 

Rey Kenobi was different. She enjoyed the form instantly. She rode that line and moved like lightning. Mace was reminded over and over that she wasn’t really like Finn, or Luke. She was more like Master Dooku, and not even all that much. Master Dooku was curious about studying the Darkside and being prepared. Rey Kenobi was wild. 

Finn talked about Rey basically raising herself, growing up on a desert planet, fighting to stay alive and waiting for the hope of something happening that in her heart she knew would never come. The light was tied to her heart and that ability to hope and love with innocence that boarded on naivety. But she was wise to the darkness. She fought with anger easily. She danced between light and dark like there were no consequences. 

But that innocence tied her to the light. 

Mace decided that if anything happened to Finn that they might be in a lot of trouble. 

He sent Finn to practice with Luke. Other Jedi needed to learn that style that Luke taught. And it gave Mace time alone with Rey Kenobi, who was just shining with joy at what she was learning. 

“You may want to contain that smile of yours, or someone would accuse you of enjoying this too much,” Mace said. 

“Yes, Master Windu,” she said, but she hardly sounded chastised. 

“You cannot allow yourself to surrender totally to the Darkness,” Mace said, warning in his tone. “Right now it was fun, but what happened in a real battle?”

“I’d rather not be in a position where I’m pushed into anger and don’t know how to fight,” Rey said, lowering the lightstaff. 

“That is why we train in our ways and practice meditation,” Mace said. “Vaapad rides the edge between Light and Dark, but it’s easy to get lost.” 

“I won’t get lost,” Rey said. 

“And being cocky doesn’t help,” Mace said firmly. 

“I’m not,” Rey said. “Master Windu, the only example of Darkside users you had to look at were in books. But my first experience with the Darkside was Kylo Ren freezing my entire body, knocking me out and kidnapping me. Before that it was Finn’s fear. After it was Kylo Ren trying to dig into my mind, but him being too scared to concentrate. I was untrained and I still broke into his mind. I watched him kill my friend, his own father. I watched him nearly kill Finn, and Kylo Ren fall apart between grief and anger and pain. The Darkside ate at him and kept him standing. I have that image in my head whenever I fight. And I had Luke’s father telling me about his regrets and his mistakes. The Darkside just eats you and eats you until it eats your entire inside and leaves skin and a skeleton. It’s a temporary thing. Yes, I can fight and feel anger. I’ve fought with anger and fear. But I know what that darkness feels like in myself and in others. I won’t fall to that, because I am aware of what it does inside me.” 

Mace regarded Rey. “Did your Master teach you to identify those feelings?” 

“He showed me how to release them. Necessity taught me to put my feelings aside until later. Many times it was do that or starve… I do worry about that I will fall and that I will fail. But it’s my will to not fall. I have too many people I need to protect and too much that I need to do… but this is fun because then I can feel a little more and still know I’m okay. Does that make sense?” 

“It does,” Mace said. It was different than what they taught at the temple. But she was different than their teaching. She was different than Finn, but no less determined to learn. 

“You look like you’ve decided something,” Rey said.

“Yes,” Mace said. “I agree with Luke, Finn will go through the more traditional process of Knighting, but you’re better suited to continue whatever track your Master has you on.” 

She looked a little relieved. “Oh, good. I was worried.” 

“Why?” 

“That you wouldn’t respect Luke because it’s different than what you do,” she said. 

Mace stared at her for a moment. “I do understand the value of a different education,” he finally said. It was either that or attempt to lecture her about proper respect of the temple Masters. She was trying to protect Luke Skywalker. And she had been raised by sand. He had to remember that her manners needed help. Finn’s respect was a side effect of being raised as a tool, not a person. Her lack fo respect was being raised as if she wasn’t a person at all.

Both were horrifying. It wasn’t personal, per say. It was how she survived. 

Finn had found a home where he didn’t just have to survive. Surely Mace could offer the same to Rey Kenobi. Finn wouldn’t want any different. 

“Let’s get back to practice,” Mace said, turning his lightsaber on. “We’ll go slower this time.” 

Rey grinned. “Yes, Master Windu,” she said, raising her lightstaff and moving into the first positon.


	12. Chapter 12

Anakin was pretty certain that Finn was the best dad in the whole world. Not that Anakin had a lot of experience with other dads. Most of the kids he knew on Tatooine were slave children like him and almost none of them had a father around. Those that did were generally owned by their fathers. And in the Jedi temple there weren’t parents, just care takers and other Jedi. But still, Anakin was pretty certain that Finn was the best dead in all of Coruscant, probably in the whole galaxy.

Finn was free with the affection he gave, and he liked telling Anakin jokes and listening to Anakin’s jokes. He didn’t fuss at Anakin for all the bad words he knew in Huttese, and even learned a few. He hugged Anakin openly in a way most Jedi wouldn’t. Anakin was eleven and never felt ashamed of hugging his dad or holding his hand when he dragged Finn down the hall to show him something. Finn praised his work and helped him with his homework. Even if Finn didn’t know, he’d try to help Anakin find the answer, and if he couldn’t, he would still stay with Anakin while he worked so Anakin wouldn’t get lonely.

He let Anakin talk for hours about the droids he was working on. Finn didn’t know much about droids, but he still tried to learn binary and he let Anakin teach enough that he could help. He really listened too, like what Anakin had to say was important, like his opinions mattered. 

It wasn’t like Master Qui-Gon didn’t listen, but Master Qui-Gon was his teacher and his responsibility. And his Mama was his Mama. It wasn’t the same as Finn. 

When Finn had to chastise him, Anakin knew he’d really messed up. But Finn’s anger was never scary, it just hurt because Anakin knew he’d hurt or disappointed Finn. He wanted Finn to be proud of him. And Finn worked hard to make Anakin know he was proud of him. But Anakin always felt better when Finn would forgive him for his mistakes.

He really loved Finn. 

Anakin, at his core, was a mechanic. He liked to fix things. Whenever his parents or Master Qui-Gon phrased a question like it was droid or a speeder that needed to be fixed, Anakin had an easier time figuring out the solution. His mother was a mechanic too. He was proud of her because she was using her training to learn to work on the equipment that the Healers used. She took Force Healing lessons with Finn, and hung around the Halls of Healing, elbow first in machines, trying to make them work better. 

He and Finn were the only ones who knew she was trying to invent a better medical droid.

He came from the type of people who fixed things and made them better. Even Finn liked to make things better. He probably got that from Anakin and Shmi too. So Anakin didn’t think he could be blamed for trying to help his dad. 

He knew how much Finn wanted to get closer to Luke. And Anakin also knew that Finn was really nervous about talking to Luke as his grandfather instead of as his teacher. He also knew that Luke wanted to get a chance to spend time with Anakin. So Anakin came up with a solution. He got free time from Qui-Gon and invited both Finn and Luke to come have tea with him. 

It was a great solution. And Anakin got to show off how much he’d learned about making tea. 

And it gave him an excuse to call Obi-Wan. He needed help baking something to have with tea. And Master Qui-Gon was always happier when Obi-Wan was around. Anakin thought he was a good enough chaperone that no one would fuss about Obi-Wan spending a few hours over. And Anakin got a baking lesson. He wanted to be able to make dinner for his mother one day. 

Luke showed up first. Anakin offered Luke a shy smile. Anakin knew one day that Luke would be his son. But it was weird to think of Luke that way. Anakin had learned that he hadn’t really raised Luke or Leia, but he didn’t know why except that something happened, though no one would tell him what. Finn told Anakin that the reason was like heavy weight that Anakin was too small to carry. One day he’d be able to carry it, but right now he didn’t need to worry about trying to pick it up. It made sense to Anakin, anyway. It wasn’t a no, it was a later. 

But Anakin wished he knew why whenever he saw Luke.

“I haven’t started the tea yet. I didn’t know what you’d want,” Anakin said. 

“To be honest, I would actually prefer blue milk, if you had it,” Luke said, sounding a little embarrassed. 

“I do,” Anakin said. He led Luke to the kitchen and started looking for the milk when he heard the chime. “Just a second,” he said to Luke. He rushed and opened the door. 

“Hey, Ani,” Finn said. He scooped Anakin right off the ground and hugged him tightly. That was more and more impressive since Anakin kept getting taller. He knew he’d be taller than Finn soon, but Anakin had a hard time imagining that Finn would ever not be able to pick him up.

“Hey dad,” Anakin said. He grabbed Finn’s hand and dragged him inside. 

“Finn, I didn’t know you would be coming,” Luke said. Anakin glanced to where Luke was standing in the doorway of the kitchen. 

“Luke!” Finn said, sounding surprised.

“I invited you both,” Anakin said.

“Force, I’m having flashbacks to when Ben was a boy,” Luke said. He ran a hand through his hair and then offered a tired smile. “It seems like Anakin thinks we need an intervention.” 

“You should talk,” Anakin confirmed. 

Finn laughed, though there was slightly panicked edge to it. “Well, I guess talking over tea won’t be too bad… did Ren really do this a lot?” 

“Whenever his parents weren’t talking he’d invite both of them to tea party with him and his toys and wouldn’t tell them both were invited. He also had strictly enforced rules of only being allowed to say nice things… actually, he had me and Wedge sit down at one of those at one point,” Luke said. There was a sad smile on his face. No, not sad exactly. Qui-Gon said that type of look was wistful. Master Qui-Gon got that look a lot. 

“That’s kind of cute,” Finn said. 

“The unfortunate side effect of Ben being raised by parents who argued more than they said I love you,” Luke said.

Finn’s smile dropped. Anakin didn’t like the sound of that at all. 

“Did they yell a lot?” Anakin asked. 

“Anakin, you must understand that Han and Leia adored each other,” Luke said. “They always did, but their relationship involved a lot of arguing. Their attraction was somewhat volatile. And that meant for as long as I knew them, they were always arguing. It was their form of affection.” 

Finn grimaced. “That sounds like Ren and Hux.” 

“I’m not surprise,” Luke said dryly. “How about we have tea.” 

“Oh, yeah,” Anakin said. He pushed Finn into the kitchen and moved around starting to make tea. “Obi-Wan helped me bake.” 

“Good. He’s much better at that than I am,” Finn said. 

Finn as Luke sat down across from each other. Anakin started to put to boil and got Luke his blue milk and cracked into the tin of baked goods he’d set aside for this particular meeting. He started making tea for himself and Finn. 

Anakin wasn’t certain he really liked tea. He knew Finn didn’t have an opinion on it one way or the other. But both of them were trying to learn how to drink it because all good Jedi seemed to drink a lot of tea. Anakin was pretty certain the pastries would help. 

An awkward silence sat while Anakin got tea ready and set the cups on the table. He sat between Luke and Finn. He offered Finn an encouraging smile. 

“So, who wants to talk first?” Anakin asked. 

“Apparently you do, brat,” Finn said with a touch of annoyance and a lot of fondness. 

“It’s not my fault you two are staring at each other and being boring,” Anakin said. “I know you want to talk to him. So talk. It’s easy. You open your mother and move your lips while words come out.” 

“You’ve been hanging around Ren too much,” Finn said. “You’re starting to get his sense of humor.” 

“It’s your too,” Anakin pouted. 

Luke started to laugh. He placed a hand over his mouth to muffle it, but he was definitely laughing. Anakin let out a mental sigh of relief. He had been worried. Luke got so serious around him all the time. 

“I must admit that even in my wildest dreams I never could have come up with this… but it works,” Luke said. “You two go well together.” 

“Yeah?” Finn asked. “Well, it’s not like it’s hard to love Anakin.” 

“I know,” Luke said quietly. 

“Yeah,” Finn said. “I mean, you know.” 

“Of course,” Luke said. He offered Anakin a smile. “Of course you’re an adult when I knew you.” 

“Well, I will be an adult again one day,” Anakin said. “And you’ll know me then too.” 

“Good,” Luke said. “I’m holding you to that promise.” 

Finn reached out and ruffled Anakin’s hair. “I miss that long mop you used to have. As far as I know, our family is predisposed to good hair.” 

“Leia used to tease me for my floppy hair when I was your age,” Luke told Finn. “Although I must say, I’m glad that I never have to have my hair like that,” indicating Anakin’s padawan cut.

“I’m glad that they didn’t make me grow it out like that,” Finn said, tugging on Anakin’s braid. 

“It’s not my fault it looks so ugly,” Anakin complained. “If it was just the braid, or the braid and the chop cut. But the tail is what makes it really awful. Finn, why do I have to have my hair like this and you don’t? You’re a Padawan too.”

“My good luck,” Finn said. “Since my non-traditional master didn’t insist on it, I didn’t have to even attempt it.” 

“Lucky,” Anakin grumbled. He sipped his tea to calm himself. “Luke, why don’t you make your students have the Padawan cut?” 

“Well,” Luke said, speaking slowly like he wasn’t even certain what to say. “To be honest… the first time I tried training students, I had them wear the braid. I liked the tradition. Ben used to have one, actually. But when Rey and Finn approached me, it reminded me of my own training. I was an adult when I was first trained. I learned what I learned by allowing myself to be open to the force, and I learned most of what I know on my own. By trying to stick to the traditions of the old temple I had limited my students too much. I allowed-” He cut himself up and took a deep breath. 

“Luke?” Finn asked. 

“I’m sorry Finn. I haven’t mentioned it, but I really hadn’t lost as much of the old teachings as I think I may have led you to believe. I just decided that it was too many trappings for Jedi of our time needed. The order lost something along the way. To be honest, I was a little frightened when I heard that you had been training at the old temple for the past three years.” 

“Why would you be afraid?” Anakin asked. “It’s a Jedi temple, and you’re a Jedi. And Finn’s the best.” 

“Because what I teach is something the Order hasn’t followed in thousands of years,” Luke said. His entire presence turned very serious. “Finn, I worried that you would be trying to cut off attachments, or focus too much on rules.” 

“Like the First Order,” Finn said. 

“Dad wouldn’t do that!” Anakin nearly shouted. 

“Easy, Ani,” Finn soothed. 

“I know now,” Luke said. “But it’s very easy to fall back into what’s familiar. And there’s a reason the Hux family used the old Jedi why: it’s very powerful as an indoctrination method.” 

Anakin felt very uncomfortable at that declaration. He looked at Finn who looked just as uncomfortable as Anakin felt. 

“You said you ‘were worried’. Past tense,” Finn said. “Does that mean you aren’t worried now?” 

“I’m still worried, but not about you,” Luke admitted. His severity in his face eased and he was back to his smiles. “Or about Rey. I expected something different. But you have carved out a place in the unyielding system. You forced a place for Anakin and Shmi, and to maintain your attachments openly. The Master of the Order absolutely adores you and I believe would happily adopt you if you would allow it… and what do did with Ben.” 

Finn looked embarrassed. Anakin could feel Finn’s embarrassment in the Force. 

“You did a lot Dad,” Anakin said.

“I know, I’m just not used to hearing people say it like that,” Finn said. 

“It’s more than that,” Luke said. “Because you maintain your attachments with your training amazingly well. For the sake of another and for the betterment of the world around you, you’re saving someone you have every right to hate. Finn, I couldn’t be more proud of you.” 

Finn bowed his head a little bit. Anakin touched Finn lightly in the Force and felt how overwhelmed Finn felt. He always thrived on compliments. But this wasn’t a compliment of his work, not really. It was a compliment of him as a person. Finn wanted Luke to love him. Anakin was certain Luke would love him, because Luke had no reason to not. 

“Thank you, Luke,” Finn said quietly. 

“I’m only speaking the truth,” Luke said. “There’s still a lot of training I have to do with you. Even more than Rey because we have been separated for so long. But you are going to be the most extraordinary Jedi Knight, because you will be educated in the methods of the old temple, and in the new. And you’ve already dragged the old temple along with you. You realize that, don’t you?” 

“I do,” Finn said. He looked up and sat up straighter. “I do know my worth, Luke. I know that my training sets me apart. I know that what I learned from you left me more open to the force than anyone other than you or Anakin.” Finn flashed him a quick smile. “I know I’m different, that the type of Jedi I am is different even than you. And I know that has a place, because the Force chose me, like it chose Ren. And I know it picked Ren because he walks the lines of light and dark in a way no one else does or can, and that his love ties him to the light whether he likes it or not. But my worth is more… esoteric. I can assist Ren, but so can a lot of people. What I can do is love and forgive and teach others to do the same.” 

“And more than that,” Luke said. 

Finn laughed. “I know more than that. I’m so happy you and Rey are here… because if I am honest, I already don’t want to go back. I wanted to stay here with my family, but I couldn’t imagine living without Rey.” 

“You know I can’t stay,” Luke said. Anakin could feel the way Luke became swamped with sadness. “I’ve been away from Wedge for so long… and Leia. I have still have people that need me.” 

“But you are here for now,” Finn said. 

“Yes,” Luke said. “And you and I will squeeze out as much time together as possible. We have so many years to catch up on. But when the time comes, I hope you can stay here.” 

“You do?” Anakin found himself asking. 

“He’s happier here,” Luke said. “And I believe my grandson has a better chance of having a day when he’ll be able to lay down the family lightsaber and stop fighting, but here, not in our time. Neither Leia nor I were ever able to stop. The Galaxy has problems now. But it’s so fractured in the future. Fractured enough that the Force sent us back to mend what could be mended.” 

“The future sounds bad, the way you say it,” Anakin said.

“It’s not good,” Luke admitted. “But I have hope.” 

Anakin made a noise. “What good does hope do?” 

“It does all the good,” Luke said. “Anakin, you must understand that hope is the hardest thing to do in the entire galaxy, especially in the face of pain, loss, and all the trials the galaxy throws your way. To hope that it will get better means putting everything on the line to fight for more. It means educating yourself and stubbornly refusing to let go of that hope when you see all the bad there is to see.” 

“And Luke has seen a lot,” Finn said. He laid a hand on Anakin’s shoulder and gave it a squeeze. “But it’s okay, because we’re Skywalkers, and Skywalkers hold onto hope.” 

Anakin smiled at Finn. “Mom’s like that too.” 

“I know she is,” Finn said. “Which is why the Force picked her to have you. It’s hard to not be good when you have someone like that loving you so much.” 

“Is that why the Force brought you too us as well,” Anakin asked, grinning broader. 

“Probably,” Finn said.   
“I would say most likely,” Luke said. “You two fit well together.” 

Anakin felt a little embarrassed, but very pleased. Finn looked like he felt very much the same. 

“Anakin’s my son. I don’t really know how else to explain it,” Finn said. 

Luke just looked happy for them. “I’m glad.” 

“So,” Anakin said, hoping to keep the conversation maybe on Luke and Finn instead of him. “What do you do when you’re not doing Jedi stuff?” 

“Hmm,” Luke hummed. “Well, I’ve always enjoyed flying.” 

“I’m glad, because you and Rey can talk about it and then I don’t have to be bothered,” Finn said. Finn did know how to fly. He'd earned his flight license and everything. He just did not enjoy it. Anakin had to struggle to keep himself to mention how much he enjoyed flying. He could find time to talk to Luke about it later. 

“Obi-Wan doesn’t really like it either,” Anakin said. 

“Oh yeah, Obi-Wan and I get along on that point. Master Qui-Gon too, actually now that I think about it,” Finn said. He propped his elbow on the table and laid his chin on his hand. “I guess that means you and Luke will have something to talk about.” 

“I used to be a pilot in the war,” Luke said. He took a sip of his milk. “Actually, I was one of the best the Rebels had. And I had always been told I got my skill from my father?” 

“Really?” Anakin asked. 

“To be fair, Ren is also an excellent pilot for the same reason,” Finn said. 

“And Han too,” Luke said.

“Yeah, that was part of why Rey got along with Han too,” Finn said. He sounded a little sad. 

“Anyway,” Luke said, trying to clear the air of sadness. “A lot of my free time has been eaten up with, as you say, Jedi things. But I still enjoy tinkering and flying.” 

Really, it sounded like Anakin had a lot in common with his future child, but not like Luke had that much in common with Finn. 

“Well, now you have time to look into other things,” Finn said. “Or enjoy that stuff. I promise you that they’d love to have you teach flying courses. Padawans need to know how to pilot. But no one’s got experience like you do. They’ve even gotten Ren on the teaching rotation for flying sometimes, but only because no one can pull the tricks he can.” 

“You learn a lot when you learn from a smuggler,” Luke said. His sadness seemed to have settled. “And what about you Finn, what new things have you picked up while here?” 

“Well, I a lot,” Finn said. “I go to healing training. I’m not nearly as good as Ren, but I’ve learned a lot. And truthfully, I already tested out of the mathematics courses completely, but I still will talk with the Master sometimes. I like keeping up practice. But the one things I never expected to enjoy was poetry.” 

“Poetry?” Luke asked, sounding surprised. 

“Yeah,” Finn said. Anakin wrinkled his nose. No one liked poetry, but it was required. Except for Finn, apparently. “I am really no good at it, but I just enjoy reading it, and writing it. Even though I’m terrible at it. I don’t know, it’s kind of nice to create something for once.” 

“I understand,” Luke said. “My uncle was a moisture farmer. I never in a millennia thought I would enjoy farming, but you remember my garden on Ahch-To.” 

Finn’s smile was very soft. “I do. You grew really good herbs.” 

Luke nodded. “There’s a lot of destruction in the galaxy. It’s nice to just make something, to add something to all of that mess. Even if it’s not very good.” 

“At least it exists,” Finn said, nodding along. 

Anakin was glad they’re found something to talk about, but he also heard something that confused him. “What do you mean uncle?” He’d figured out that Padme was definitely going to be his wife. But he had a hard time remembering her having any siblings. And Anakin knew he was an only child. 

“In the other time,” Luke began. “Your mother stayed back on Tatooine. Eventually she was bought and freed by a man named Cleigg Lars. And one day he married her. He had a son named Owen. When Leia and I were separated, Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru raised me. My father, well, you… he always said that he wished he’d gotten to spend more time with Uncle Owen, that the Lars family was really good to him and my mother.” 

“Oh,” Anakin said. Thing really had changed then. It made his stomach twist up a bit. He looked down at his tea, which he was certain was beginning to go cold. His mom had an entire other family that she probably wouldn’t have now. Anakin didn’t want her going back to Tatooine for any reason. 

“Ani,” Finn said. “We changed things already. You know that. I knew those changes might not always be good.” 

“I just feel bad,” he said. “I don’t want mom to go back to Tatooine, but it sounds like she was happy with them.” 

“Ani,” Finn said again, this time more firmly. “You mother isn’t going to run half way across galaxy for a stranger.” 

“Should I tell her?” Anakin asked. 

“I’ll tell her,” Luke said. “But Tatooine doesn’t provide an easy life. We both know that. Your mother is a brilliant woman. She’s learning to control the gifts the Force has given her, and I understand she has become integral to the Healers. She should be allowed to make her own decisions. But last time she had no choice. I never met grandfather Cliegg, but he was a product of Tatooine. For good and bad. Even as much as I’m sure she loved Uncle Owen, I still think she would have wanted to be here with you.” 

“You don’t know that,” Anakin said, accusation in his voice. 

“I don’t,” Luke said. “But I grew up on Tatooine anyway.” 

Anakin dropped his gaze. He knew that. He knew that his son had lived on Tatooine with a slave name, but freedom. That wasn’t a life Anakin wanted for his future children. His mother hadn’t wanted it for him either. 

“You can’t change what was for me,” Luke said. “But you’ll have children of your own one day. Just focus on what you want for them and what kind of place you want the galaxy to be when they’re born.” 

“I think Ani already has that part figured out,” Finn said. 

“I want to end slavery in the galaxy,” Anakin said. Finn was the only one who seemed to believe it was possible at all. 

Luke cocked his head to one side. Then he nodded. “Hold on to that.” 

“I didn’t do it, where you’re from, did I?” Anakin asked. 

“No,” Luke said. “But I didn’t either. And my family used to hide runaway slaves sometimes. It was such a large problem and we just never did… anything about it.” 

“Well, there’s time now,” Finn said. “We have four Skywalkers in the Universe. I don’t see why we can’t do something about it.” 

 

“Yeah?” Anakin said. “It won’t get in the way of the big thing you’re here for?” 

“I don’t see how it could hurt anything to focus efforts on trying to improve the galaxy. Besides, maybe Master Windu will want to come with me,” Finn said.

“At the very least is can’t hurt to try,” Luke said. “The Hutts played a big part in the Clone Wars.” 

“The what?” Anakin asked. 

“It’s… uh?” Luke looked like he’d been caught doing something he shouldn’t have. 

“It’s part of why we’re here,” Finn said. “A Sith uses a huge war to destabilize things so he can take over.” 

“Is that what you’re waiting for? The war to start?” Anakin asked. 

“I’m waiting for an opening, and a chance to expose the Sith,” Finn explained. “And trying to finish my training so that I’ll be ready when the time comes and I have to fight.” 

Anakin nodded. A war. So that was at least part of it. A war and more Sith, like the one his family and his Master had faced. That’s what all of them were here for. “Then I’ll train up too and be ready.” 

Finn smiled at him and ruffled his hair. “You don’t have to be ready just yet. Right now just worry about being a kid and learning what Qui-Gon teaches you.” 

“But you have to be ready,” Anakin complained. 

“It’s years away,” Luke said. “You were an adult by the time the war started. There’s still time.” 

“And it’s not your job to solve it all right now. It’s not my job to solve it all right now. Right now our job is to be prepared. Which in your case means following with your lessons as they are now,” Finn said. “And relaxing sometimes and spending time with your mother and me and even Ren. Because you can’t be ready when you’ve burnt yourself out. Understand?” 

“Yeah, I think so,” Anakin said. “So that means more time for you to come over for tea?” 

“I think we can manage that,” Luke said. 

“And you should both talk without me having to invite you for tea,” Anakin added. 

Finn laughed. “Okay, we get it… Luke, I have some free time tomorrow. How about you and I go out to the city?” 

“I would like that. It’s been a while since I’ve been on Coruscant,” Luke said. 

Anakin sat back, feeling very pleased with himself. Finn and Luke began to plan their trip out of the temple. Finn rarely used his free time to do more than spend time either reading or with Master Windu or one of their family. He rarely left the temple unless it was for an official mission. Really, tea had gone even better than Anakin expected.

* * *

Anakin took a trip to one of the less used gardens. Normally he wouldn’t have gone that way, but he felt a little push. He found Ren sitting in meditation, which Anakin found instantly alarming. He didn’t see any Jedi around. Ren wasn’t allowed anywhere without other Jedi around. And he was sitting down and meditating. Ren didn’t really meditate, but when he did it was something called moving meditation. Anakin liked moving meditation better than sitting still for too long. He hadn’t told Qui-Gon or Finn yet. He felt a little like a failure because he had such a hard time concentrating while staying still. 

Anakin walked over to Ren and sat down next to him. No one could say Ren was alone this way, even if Anakin got in trouble because he wasn’t really a proper escort. He didn’t meditate, he just sat back and listened to the soft hum of a controlled garden. Anakin didn’t know sometimes how the others stood it. To him, there was always a faint electrical hum. He knew why: the gardens could look like they were outside, but if they were the pollution from Coruscant would have killed many of the more delicate plants. And there would have been far too much noise to meditate.

But it wasn’t real silence. Not that real silence was actually good. Real silence on Tatooine meant being out in the desert alone. It was dangerous enough to practically be certain death. But as loud as Mos Espa could be, at least it wasn’t just the consistent little hum of power cells keeping a room controlled to look like something it wasn’t. 

“Don’t you have lessons?” Ren asked. Anakin sat up. Ren was still sitting with his eyes closed like he was meditating. 

“Time off,” Anakin said. 

“Why aren’t you with Finn?” Ren asked. His lips barely moved as he spoke, and he was staying perfectly still. 

“He and Luke went out,” Anakin said. “And Master Qui-Gon’s at physical therapy, and Mom’s at lessons and Obi-Wan’s teaching a class.” 

“That doesn’t explain why you are here,” Ren said, still barely moving. 

“I felt a pull. You aren’t supposed to be alone,” Anakin said, lowering his voice a bit. 

“Do you know why this garden isn’t used much?” he asked. 

“I don’t know. It’s a little small?” Anakin asked. He didn’t know if it was small. It was just a guess. 

“This garden is part of an ongoing project to monitor the growth of plant life. It’s one of the few gardens that have cameras. Most people don’t like being filmed even when they’re meditating. But it suits me because I can be alone outside of my rooms.” 

“Oh, that’s smart,” Anakin said. “So, do you meditate here a lot?” 

Ren cracked an eye open and looked at Anakin. Then he opened the other eye. The tension drained out of his shoulders and he let out a heavy sigh. “No. The moving meditation was just making me angry. I thought maybe trying to sit still would help.” 

“What is it?” Anakin asked. 

“It’s a lot of things. Mainly that Hux is locked up and I can’t be certain they won’t try to kill him.” There was a panicked edge to Ren’s voice that made Anakin wince. 

“They won’t,” Anakin said. “Dad won’t let them.” 

“I know he’ll try-” Ren started. 

“No,” Anakin said, trying that firm tone his mom used when she wanted him to listen. It seemed to work because Ren went quiet. “Dad won’t let them do it.” 

Ren looked at Anakin for a moment before he slowly nodded. “Yeah, I guess you would know.” 

“I do,” Anakin said. He looked at the garden. It was so green. Qui-Gon used the word verdant. Full of life. But Anakin couldn’t help but feel that it was still artificial. He looked back at Ren, who had gone silent again. Ren had been locked up for a while.

“Finn went out?” Ren asked. 

“Yeah,” Anakin said. “I invited them both to tea and didn’t tell them they were both invited. Luke said you used to do that a lot.” 

Ren blinked in surprise for a moment. “Force, I forgot I used to do that… Yeah, I suppose I did.” A really sad smile settled on his mouth. “Luke proposed to his husband because I did that.” 

“Luke’s married?” Anakin asked. 

“Yeah, to a man name Wedge Antilles.” 

“Like the Senator?” Anakin asked. 

“Yeah, but I don’t think they’re related… I mean they could be. I was never around Uncle Wedge all that much,” Ren said, scratching the back of his head. 

“Maybe the Force will bring him here too, so Luke won’t want to leave,” Anakin said. 

“I hope not,” Ren said shortly. 

“Finn said he’s going to stay if he can. And Aunt Rey will stay if he does. Would you stay?” Anakin asked. 

“I… Well, I’m not sure,” Ren said. “I’m not really interested in fighting Finn, and he’d definitely go back to the Resistance.” He made a face, which made Anakin giggle. Ren always looked funny when he looked sour. Ren flashed him a little half smile. “And well, I mean there’s a better chance that Hux won’t get killed here. There… if he dies I don’t know how I’ll go on.” 

Anakin nodded. That was what love did. Anakin didn’t know what he’d do without Finn, or his mom, or Padme. He didn’t know what Finn would do without Aunt Rey. 

“So… you think you’d stay?” Anakin said. 

“I think safety wise, that Hux and I will be safer here. But Hux has all these dreams and stuff. He won’t do well being locked up… I’m worried about him. If he gets captured by the Resistance at best they will lock him up in a tiny, tiny cell and leave him to rot. And that’s worse than here. Here there’s a chance he could explore the temple, which is vast. And I don’t know, I just feel like he needs to be here. And it has nothing to do with me or wanting him… But Hux doesn’t really believe in the Force.” 

“How can he not? He knows what it does, right?” Anakin asked. 

“Oh yeah, he knows. But he doesn’t hold a lot of stock in the idea of something that’s in everything and connects everything. He’s vastly too practical sometimes.” 

Ren was smiling a little. It was kind of sappy. Anakin would like it if he didn’t Hux was possibly the worst person in existence. It was like Ren being in love with Watto. It was kind of gross. 

“You said it was a lot of things. Is it a lot of Hux things?” Anakin asked. 

“No,” Ren said. “I just… there’s something coming. And seeing Luke again just reminded me of it.” 

“Finn says talking about things can help make them better,” Anakin said. 

Ren looked thoughtful for a moment. “Okay, I guess it’s about time I tell you anyway. You know that Luke and my mother weren’t raised together.” 

“Yeah, something really bad happened,” Anakin said. 

“Really bad,” Ren agreed. He looked away from Anakin. “You became a Sith.” 

“I what?” Anakin asked. It felt like the entire planet stopped spinning for a minute. 

“You became a Sith Apprentice. Like the one we killed… no, much, much more powerful. Sidious and Darth Vader ruled the Universe with an iron fist.” 

“But… the Senate,” Anakin said. He didn’t know what he was feeling except that it felt like he wasn’t really feeling it.” 

“Sidious got rid of the Senate. He was the emperor.” 

“But the Jedi would stop him.” 

“He killed the Jedi and convinced everyone that the Jedi were evil,” Ren said flatly. He wouldn’t look at Anakin. Anakin felt a dark trickle of dread start to leak into his heart. 

“What did I do?” Anakin whispered. “Who did I kill?” 

“The younglings,” Ren said. “And whoever you felt like… interrogated my mother and were there when the Emperor’s military man blew up Alderaan.” 

“I… I need to go!” Anakin said quickly. He jumped up and rushed for the door.

Fear was like a monster in his stomach. He couldn’t do all those things. He couldn’t be the type of man who would do those things. His dad wouldn’t like the type of man who could do those things. He could love everyone but Hux. Anakin couldn’t be that type of man. 

But what if he became like that? Would Finn still love him? How could his dad love him if he knew that Anakin had tortured and killed a lot of people, especially the children in the crèche? His dad had to know? Why hadn’t anyone told him before?

If he was going to be that evil, why did Finn bother loving him? Why hadn’t anyone just gone ahead and put him down? Would the council do so when they found out? 

The fear hit him in waves that wouldn’t stop. Anakin started to run. He couldn’t escape the horrible feelings that just kept hitting him over and over. 

He was afraid, and it was too much to release to the Force. He just felt lost in the dark.

**Author's Note:**

> I really hope this goes the way I want it too. I love this idea and it's a little long reaching. Tags subject to change as the story goes along.


End file.
